Comments on: Locked Down At London Heathrow

By: Tom Gates

Tom Gates — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:57:50 +0000

I feel for you big time. The week after it happened I felt….shaken. It made no sense but I felt like I had done something wrong, even though I hadn’t at all. I have since been back, but through Edinburgh, where they were official but understanding and reasonable (and admitted me after a few questions because of the big honking X that must come up on my UK immigration profile). I have had cause to go to to London a couple times later last year but just can’t bring myself to go through everything I’ll have to do if I fly into Heathrow. It’s a real shame because I’ve been to London no less than 30 times before with no issue.

By: Joshua Payne

Joshua Payne — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:01:51 +0000

Last night, I was forced to be on a flight back to the U.S. from Heathrow Airport. On February 6th (3 days ago), I flew over to Heathrow from Atlanta, Georgia to visit my newly wedded wife (I’m American) for 3 months on a Holiday Visa. I arrived at Terminal 4 and walked up to the UK Border Agency. After checking my passport, they got onto me because I didn’t have the marriage license with me and don’t have enough money in my bank account. They detained me, had to wait 5 hours before I told them I didn’t have an interview yet. They finally interviewed me and the guy who did it was a cruel person who likes to act tough. They denied me entry into the country because I was married to a British citizen! They said they didn’t trust me to leave the country at the end of the 3 months. I told them I had a return ticket back to the U.S., but they didnt care and didn’t “trust” me, so I demanded to speak to the Chief Immigration Officer twice, and she knocked any points I had to make.

They also interrogated my wife (who was waiting for my arrival and was at the airport 7 hours before they let her go), and they kept slating our marriage because we met online! They even told her I was in a room with a bed and only 2 other people, NO! I was in a room with 7 other people and only chairs to sleep on and no beds. All the chairs were taken so I couldn’t lay down to get any sleep. I was held for 24 hours until I was sent back on my return fight yesterday. They ONLY allowed me and my wife to see each other behind glass for 10 minutes. They treated me like a criminal!

This is caused so much stress on me and my wife, I certainly feel for everyone who has gone through a similar situation. The word needs to get that the Immigration officers at Heathrow Airport are power-hungry, unprofessional people. They are the most heartless people I’ve ever had to deal with. I don’t know when I can be physically with my wife again. Flights are not cheap and it was all in vain because of that asshole of an immigration officer.

By: john

john — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 04:28:38 +0000

I recently experience the same thing on Tuesday at Terminal 3 with a US Passport. Because I did not have a job, and told them I was visiting an American lawyer friend based in London instead of the 13+ Ghanaian/UK citizen cousins and aunts I have living there. Its all odd – they think everyone wants to live in that dreadful country with crumbling social services. I mean if anything I will be sneaking into Switzerland or Canada of South Africa. Heathrow is a joke really.

By: Shannon OD

Shannon OD — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:24:55 +0000

OMG – I felt like I was reading part of my own UK horror story for a while there. I got questioned intensely crossing in from France – they didn’t believe that I was on a RTW trip because I’m an American, asked for bank information, wondered why any person in the UK would want me to stay with them (I mentioned I had met them trekking in Nepal and was staying at their apt – not acceptable apparently).

They let me in, but they made the whole bus of people wait for me to be questioned by half a dozen people…I cried a little, it was one hot mess! So sorry that you had to go through that though

By: SF

SF — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:52:12 +0000

If interested (please see my comment below) we would like to tell you our story too. It’s disgusting to be treated this way – criminals have more rights! This needs to be talked about and gotten out there.

By: SF

SF — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:40:28 +0000

Heathrow Airport A holes. My Canadian fiance has recently been denied entry. We waited over a year to be together again – especially for Christmas. I believe there ARE quotas and that they do pick “an easy target” such as my man since you couldn’t want to meet anyone nicer… Again neither of us lied, he had enough money and somewhere to stay with a UK family and British fiance.
Maybe if he’d dressed as a terrorist he would have had no problems…

By: xaMHavelaar

xaMHavelaar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:27:14 +0000

Oh, and for added practice, try to catch Homeland Security USA, which is a show that aired on ABC until it was canceled. It was based on the Australian show Border Security. They both give you the perspective of a border guards, immigration enforcement agents, customs agents and post-sorting centers. It gives you an idea of what they look for, how they consider cases, etc. Fascinating insight.

By: xaMHavelaar

xaMHavelaar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:21:44 +0000

What an experience. Sorry that happened. I’ve never really been through anything close to that, and I’m an Indian guy who’s had to get visas for almost every country, so I think that pre-clearance makes things easier at airports. But, immigration (passport control- different from customs) is tough in a lot of places, including the US and mainland-Europe. Apart from a scary night-train ride from Slovenia (EU) into Croatia (non-EU) and into Hungary (EU again), I have no real problems with passport control. I’m used to carrying ample documentation with me, and I’ve got used to giving full, straightforward answers to questions, though I don’t go out of my way to provide EVERY little detail. Maybe I should, especially since I’ll be a US citizen soon and won’t need visas as often (YAY!). I also try to dress like I’m no trouble, and present a pleasant face to the the officer. I’m glad I’ve had practice at this, and, though your experience must have been horrendous, I’m sure you’ll be fine from now on. Good luck, and, by the way, great writing.

By: Mr. Brown

Mr. Brown — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:21:12 +0000

Reading you post has taken a huge weight off. I had a similar experience a few months ago. I am so pleased that you got to back. God bless the Scottish!

By: Adam Roy

Adam Roy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:51:27 +0000

To clarify, I mean “customs” as in “airport security”, not as in “habits”.

By: Adam Roy

Adam Roy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:50:04 +0000

I’ve been to the UK three times, and I have absolutely nothing good to say about their customs. They’re twice as suspicious than the US and half as competent.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:45:28 +0000

Wow. To see that kind of situation arise in a country like the U.K is just unbelievable to me. I remember the customs people in England being a little on the strict side but this takes it to a whole new level. I would have expected it from an airport that isn’t used to seeing a lot of tourists but not from an airport like Heathrow.

Apparently cheap airlines are more and more mainstream but we should avoid them at all costs! But then again, I had my passport stolen in New Zealand and the flight from Sydney to Los Angeles wasn’t proof enough that I needed an emergency replacement, I had to prove that I needed to leave New Zealand first (catching a plane in Australia seemed like proof enough to me?)

By: eileen

eileen — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:22:55 +0000

man, the whole case of the purloined pecans really pales in comparison to this. I don’t think Chile keeps people out, or at least not like this, or at least not that I’ve heard of.

This was terrible, though a fascinating read.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:26:57 +0000

I had issues getting into America all because the people I was going to stay with I’d only met once before and only knew them before that online. They wouldn’t let me in until they’d spoken to either of my friends in the country, both of which were at work when I landed at 9am and I didn’t have work numbers for them. I missed a connecting flight because of it which Immigration refused to refund stating that I should have left enough time between flights in case of these kind of incidents!

The worst treatment I’ve had is by Customs officials. I ended up in a white paper boiler suit, five minutes away from a strip search after having spent almost nine hours in a room with a desk and nasty chair, when they finally gave in and I was allowed to go home.

By: Natasha

Natasha — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:19:18 +0000

I am absolutely disgusted that this happened to you in the UK. I’ve recently blogged about homophobia in South America. Because I live in a left wing fantasy bubble, I think that everyone else thinks like I do. This and the article in the Daily Mail last Friday is proof that they don’t.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/16/stephen-gately-jan-moir http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/19/jan-moir-complain-stephen-gately

(I’m not posting the link to the actual article – the Daily Mail don’t deserve your hits)

Since 9/11 and the onslaught of evil Ryanair, air travel in and out of the UK is utterly joyless. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve had to run across Stanstead terminal in my socks with my jeans falling down (no belts, no shoes) because I’ve been delayed at security by girls being deprived of their threatening make-up or mums of their dangerous looking baby formula.

Oh and by the way, it’s common knowledge that the further north you go, the friendly the people get. Edinburgh was a good choice.

By: Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:26:03 +0000

Wow. This got my blood boiling.

By: Kathy Gates

Kathy Gates — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:32:44 +0000

I try to avoid Heathrow since being frisked there in 1989.

That was a great read though…thanks very much (for writing it, not having to go through it).

By: neha

neha — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:24:54 +0000

the horror! i hate big airports. though none of my experiences come close to what you had to go through. three cheers on not quitting on the UK and for writing this out!

By: Tom Gates

Tom Gates — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:54:06 +0000

Mike – this is an important point. I am hearing just as many horror stories from Brits coming to the US. It’s almost like it’s reciprocal venom. I heard stories about folks from Scotland, after the Lockerbie guy was released, that just plain freak me out. Getting even with another country politically through its people, who have come to spend money at your theme parks and Hard Rock Cafe’s? Not smart.

By: Juliane

Juliane — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:53:21 +0000

Wow I can’t believe they can just do that to you. What jerks…