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Embarkation controls

General UK immigration & work permits; don't post job search or family related topics!

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bbdivo
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Embarkation controls

Post by bbdivo » Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:43 pm

Hi all, I have read on another board that embarkation controls are know in place at Heathrow and Gatwick, does anyone here now about that?

I did find this, maybe some of that is starting now?

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/n_story.asp?item_id=1085

Joseph
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Post by Joseph » Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:29 pm

The current exit check, which was started on July 8 (and then cancelled briefly before the second terrorist fiasco later in July) is not really an embarkation control as much as a way to try to catch escaping terrorists. They gave my American passport a cursory look. Nothing was recorded by Immigration regarding my departure.

The electronic controls that are described in the news release is something more elaborate which will indeed record a passenger's departure from the UK. It will be a true departure control.

Joseph

Smit
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Post by Smit » Thu Sep 22, 2005 11:20 am

My very recent experience at Heathrow departure was that immigration officers were scanning passports and going through the various stamps. I found them questioning an indian looking man who had presumably overstayed his UK visa.

Rogerio
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Post by Rogerio » Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:18 pm

I think the UK should have a full embarkation control check quick. Allowing people in with certain conditions on their stay, and not cross checking those when they leave is plainly stupid in my view, and allows for many breaches of immigration.

Smit
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Post by Smit » Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:20 am

I agree with Rogerio. Such checks would especially catch out overstayers. In fact, if it is not already, overstaying should be made a strict liability offence such as jumping a red traffic light and people caught doing it in the UK should be kicked out permanently and people who had overstayed previously and who apply for EC at a British mission overseas should not be granted visas, fullstop. No excuses should be allowed.

This should deter overstaying which seems to be widespread as many posters on this board have demonstrated.

Chess
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Post by Chess » Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:42 am

There is no evidence that embarkation controls like those used pre-1996 would deter overstaying
Where there is a will there is a way.

Smit
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Post by Smit » Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:48 am

Chess, habari baba, what I am saying is they should come down hard on overstayers. My previous experience in the 90's was that they simply stamped your passport with an Exit stamp, didn't check to see whether you had overstayed your visa.

John
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United Kingdom

Post by John » Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:53 am

Smit, I agree except with "No excuses should be allowed. ". If someone has, for example, been involved in a road accident and is therefore in hospital when their visa expires, it would seem unfair to me if that causes them problems in the future.

Think of it this way .... in Thailand most nationalities are given 30 days permission to stay when arriving as a visitor, and if you exceed that then there are daily charges imposed which need to be paid if you actually want to proceed towards your waiting plane!

But did the Thai authorities treat the tsunami as a nice wheeze to charge all those people who were hospitalised and therefore late in leaving? Of course not ... and no doubt they will still be welcome to return on a future occasion.

So too should the UK accept reasonable evidence of reasons to be late in leaving.

Apart from that aspect, Smit I totally agree with you, indeed I would press for a Thai-style daily levy if you are late.
John

Smit
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Post by Smit » Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:09 am

John,

Thank you for your comments, I have indeed been speaking to my MP about this problem and it seems that overstaying is on the list of major issues affecting this Government although this has not been admitted.

I agree that unless there is an exceptional circumstance, excuses should not be allowed, you won't blame a person having a heart attack at the wheel of his car from jumping a red light. Again tsunamis etc fall under Acts of God and are force majeure, so they would not count. Indeed if an earthquake wiped out Heathrow, I would not point fingers at people who were forced to overstay!

Kayalami
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Post by Kayalami » Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:39 am

My 0.02 p,

The matter of embarkation controls has been of considerable interest in the immigration field. The move to discontinue such in the UK was on the basis of focusing resources on entry. Minimise the chances of potential overstayers entering primarily by way of a strict visa regime and refusals at ports of entry you minimise this problem. Immigration control has shifted to after entry/ in country anway by extending checks indirectly on daily living aspects key being employment but likewise banking, obtaining driving licences, NHS services etc.

Most people comment on controls in other EU states , Canada and the US. Several EU/EEA states are part of the Schengen Accord so there are no internal controls post entry. The EU states despite these checks as well as national ID cards continue to have many overstayers - Spain had an amnesty with 2 million registering. Canada has no obvious/ direct exit checks but all flights entering/ departing Canada must provide their manifest to immigration authorities. Information from those entering by land is shared with the US.

The US has an entry/exit system using the I-94 arrival/departure record (I-94W for those on the visa waiver programme) which was extended under post 911 legislation to collection of fingerprints and a photo upon entry (VISIT). Overstaying in the US for more than 180 days gets you a 3 yr ban and by 365 days (does not have to be consecutive) gets you a 10 yr ban. A return to the US may be considered but requires a waiver issued only where there would be untold suffering on your USC spouse or dependent child. The inspector at a Port of Entry can also ban you for 5 years under expedited removal proceedings to include false entry e.g. you quit school but are trying to enter the US on your student (F1/M1) visa or a false claim to US citizenship.

There are currently more than 10 million overstayers in the US. Most sit it out for an amnesty often for many years (even to 15 years) - after all you have nothing to lose until you get caught and deported. There is of course a link between overstaying and economic growth - someone has to do those jobs that no one in the local populace can or is unwilling to do. Were the government to facilitate/ require all overstayers to depart the UK then such would adversley impact on the economy especially in the South East and particularly London.

IMHO exit/ entry controls to include bans and other punishments may reduce overstaying but not significantly. You also need to address the issue of breach of conditions. Anectodal evidence indicates many people may enter and leave with a valid visa but have not kept to their conditions of admittance by working e.g. visitors or students beyond allowed hours. Such must be part of an overall migration strategy to take into account global realities (read where there is business there is growth and so labour) hence the 5 year plan. I am sure there is a thesis on this out there - on for and one against :) .

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Post by Chess » Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:57 am

Kayalami wrote:There are currently more than 10 million overstayers in the US. Most sit it out for an amnesty often for many years (even to 15 years) - after all you have nothing to lose until you get caught and deported. There is of course a link between overstaying and economic growth - someone has to do those jobs that no one in the local populace can or is unwilling to do. Were the government to facilitate/ require all overstayers to depart the UK then such would adversley impact on the economy especially in the South East and particularly London.

.
Kayalami

I agree 100%

Removal of overstayers in the UK especially London/southeast would lead to the collapse of the NHS, Transport System, carehomes for the elderly, cleaning, hospitality industry to name a few..

Tony Blair admitted in April this year that we should not 'mess about' with the immigrant population (legal or illegal - my words) as they are the lifeline of so many aspects of UK life..

Please not that some UK overstayers also include highly skilled professionals such as Doctors, Scientists, entrepreneurs and Engineers as it was difficult to get work authorisation pre-1997
Where there is a will there is a way.

Smit
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Post by Smit » Fri Sep 23, 2005 11:28 am

I am very encouraged by the healthy debate that has been generated on this issue. I would add that if the UK economy relies so much on overstayers, why not go down the Spain amnesty route and make these people legitimate tax payers and relieve them of exploitation, bias etc. not to mention always looking over the shoulder for the immigration guys to catch you.

Overstaying goes against the Managed Migration principle of this Government and this is why the immigration system is in shambles. The reason why more and more people enter legitimately and then become illegitimate (visitors, students who start working full time etc) is because they know they can get away with it when they see so many people around them getting away with it. If this continues, the system is bound to collapse rather than correct itself.

Chess
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Post by Chess » Fri Sep 23, 2005 1:42 pm

Smit wrote:I am very encouraged by the healthy debate that has been generated on this issue. I would add that if the UK economy relies so much on overstayers, why not go down the Spain amnesty route and make these people legitimate tax payers and relieve them of exploitation, bias etc. not to mention always looking over the shoulder for the immigration guys to catch you.
.

Unfortunately amnesty's may encourage people to overstay with hope that there will be another amnesty.

they are not good vote winners
Where there is a will there is a way.

Smit
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Post by Smit » Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:47 pm


theclawinorbit
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Post by theclawinorbit » Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:49 am

has there been any update on this topic . IE way of working with control?

confused1
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Post by confused1 » Thu Feb 02, 2006 3:46 pm

Smit wrote:I agree with Rogerio. Such checks would especially catch out overstayers. In fact, if it is not already, overstaying should be made a strict liability offence such as jumping a red traffic light and people caught doing it in the UK should be kicked out permanently and people who had overstayed previously and who apply for EC at a British mission overseas should not be granted visas, fullstop. No excuses should be allowed.

This should deter overstaying which seems to be widespread as many posters on this board have demonstrated.
Hum.... The question raises from the bull shits above is, what benefit will it bring? :lol:

Dawie
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Post by Dawie » Thu Feb 02, 2006 5:02 pm

In my humble opinion all embarkation controls serve to do is to deter any overstayers who are considering going back to their home countries from doing so.

I also find it interesting that some members of this board should show so little sympathy (empathy?) for their fellow immigrants in this wonderful country who are perhaps not quite as legal as themselves. At the end of the day all legal immigrants in the UK are only legally here by the grace of some pen-pushing bureaucrat at the Home Office (myself included), not because they have any god-given right to be here.
In a few years time we'll look back on immigration control like we look back on American prohibition in the thirties - futile and counter-productive.

bbdivo
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Post by bbdivo » Thu Feb 02, 2006 5:32 pm

Dawie wrote:In my humble opinion all embarkation controls serve to do is to deter any overstayers who are considering going back to their home countries from doing so.

I also find it interesting that some members of this board should show so little sympathy (empathy?) for their fellow immigrants in this wonderful country who are perhaps not quite as legal as themselves. At the end of the day all legal immigrants in the UK are only legally here by the grace of some pen-pushing bureaucrat at the Home Office (myself included), not because they have any god-given right to be here.
Dawie, immigration, legal or illegal is always a very emotive issue, those that are here legally feel they have worked hard to get where they are and tend to feel those that are here illegally are spoiling it for everyone else.

And I disagree with your comment about us only legally being here by the grace of some pen-pushing bureaucrat at the Home Office. In my case anyway (and probably a lot of forum members), there was a demand (because of the strong economy) for people with my skills and that is the reason for me being here.

There are a lot of people out there who out trying to 'pull a fast one', or trying to 'disappear in the system'

Smit
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Post by Smit » Fri Feb 03, 2006 3:15 pm

Dawie and confused1,

Do you think it is right for some people to follow the law and others to flout it? Breach of immigration law is the same as breach of any other law and should come with penalties to deter people breaking such law.

Why should overstayers or illegals think that they are above the law? At least the Pen-pushing bureaucrat is earning his bread and butter by being in this country and working legally, something honourable that an overstayer or illegal cannot lay claim to.

Smit

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Post by Dawie » Fri Feb 03, 2006 3:22 pm

Smit, what I am saying is that the law should not be there in the first place. Immigration controls as we know them are a phenomonen of the 20th century. Before the 1st World War there were no such thing as immigration controls and people of the world were free to move whereever they wanted.

Immigration controls are unfair, unnecessary, discriminatory and dearly beloved and quite frankly the world will be a better place without them. Fair play to those who buck the system and manage to get away with it.
In a few years time we'll look back on immigration control like we look back on American prohibition in the thirties - futile and counter-productive.

lemess
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Post by lemess » Fri Feb 03, 2006 8:35 pm

Dawie wrote:Immigration controls as we know them are a phenomonen of the 20th century. Before the 1st World War there were no such thing as immigration controls and people of the world were free to move whereever they wanted.
In the days before jet travel, geographical constraints acted as a check on uncontrolled mass migration and that is why there was no real need for immigraton controls. That has only become necessary as travel has become easier, cheaper and more convenient and whilst the perspective of an immigrant is always that it is a positive there is no proof that mass, uncontrolled immigration would be generally beneficial. Expecting native populations who enjoy a high standard of living to welcome mass immigration of people from poorer countries ( with the inevitable impact on their quality of life) is unrealistic. It is human nature to want to live in communities and the mass immigration that would result form opening up the borders to all and sundry will not be generally beneficial in my view.

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