Complicated but interesting

mrsturner · Post by **mrsturner** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:41 pm

I am an American citizen by birth and a Belgian national by decent. I live in America.

About 3 years ago I met a man on the internet and we decided to meet in person. He bought me a one way ticket to England (where he lived) and the plan was I would buy a ticket back when I wanted to go back. Well of course when I showed up at Heathrow with a one way ticket and an extremely odd story they put me in detention. (At this time I did not yet hold a Belgian passport) so I sat in detention for 48 hours before UK immigration sent me back home. The man I was going to meet bought a ticket to go back to the US with me on the same flight after sitting in the airport for 2 days. When I left they told me I could never return to the UK unless I had a visa. When we arrived back in the US we fell in love and married 2 weeks later..

To simplify another aspect of the story my husband never applied for his visa because he had a criminal conviction in the UK and was told he would not be approved for a greencard. In 2008 we had a baby and in 2009 Immigration and Customs Police took him into custody and deported him back to the UK where he has now been in jail for the last year. I realized that if I held an EU passport I could probably get into the UK without worry. So last year I applied for and received my Belgian passport and my daughter applied for and received her american and british passport.

MY QUESTION IS- Can my daughter and I enter the UK with no conflict since I now hold an EU passport and my daughter holds a British passport?

And if I do go through passport control will I be asked for my American passport if I provide my Belgian one?

Post by **John** » Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:57 pm

Can my daughter and I enter the UK with no conflict since I now hold an EU passport and my daughter holds a British passport?

Yes, just proceed through the EEA/Swiss path.

And if I do go through passport control will I be asked for my American passport if I provide my Belgian one?

There is no reason why they would do that.

mrsturner · Post by **mrsturner** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 10:16 pm

is there anyone else who definately knows i can enter the UK now with no problem? my dad seems to think otherwise and i was about to buy a ticket to come over this month. please help

ElenaW · Post by **ElenaW** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:13 am

mrsturner wrote:is there anyone else who definately knows i can enter the UK now with no problem? my dad seems to think otherwise and i was about to buy a ticket to come over this month. please help

As John said, you will have no problem. Please take a look at his username, he's posted over 8,000 useful posts and he's a moderator. If anyone knows what they're talking about it's him!

mrsturner · Post by **mrsturner** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:16 am

what about the fingerprint scanner? when they detained me they took my fingerprints and my picture. if i come back through wont my fingerprints bring up my problem in 2007?

ElenaW · Post by **ElenaW** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:19 am

mrsturner wrote:what about the fingerprint scanner? when they detained me they took my fingerprints and my picture. if i come back through wont my fingerprints bring up my problem in 2007?

You're worrying over nothing. If you have a Belgian passport you can travel to any of the EU countries. Also, you were only refused entry, it's not that big of a deal anyways (unless you used deception).

mrsturner · Post by **mrsturner** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:21 am

what do you mean by deception?

ElenaW · Post by **ElenaW** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:23 am

mrsturner wrote:what do you mean by deception?

Lied about purpose of visit and things of that nature. Once again this is irrelevant to your situation.

mrsturner · Post by **mrsturner** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:26 am

well actually it isn't

we decided that saying i was flying in on a one way ticket to meet a man off the internet was too risky and that saying he was a family friend would be better. everything else besides that was true, but alas the man said they did not believe that. none the less the interviewer said i was being sent back because they had reason to believe i was intending to live there illegally based on the findings in my suitcase, one way ticket, and the fact that i had no money. does this change your answer?

ElenaW · Post by **ElenaW** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:57 am

mrsturner wrote:well actually it isn't

we decided that saying i was flying in on a one way ticket to meet a man off the internet was too risky and that saying he was a family friend would be better. everything else besides that was true, but alas the man said they did not believe that. none the less the interviewer said i was being sent back because they had reason to believe i was intending to live there illegally based on the findings in my suitcase, one way ticket, and the fact that i had no money. does this change your answer?

Nope, my answer is the same. It would be a different story if you were applying for a spousal visa for the uk. However you're not. You have every right to live in the EU with your Belgian passport. Good luck and calm down!

f2k · Post by **f2k** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:21 pm

you are worrying about nothing really. There is 2 queues when you get to the airport, one for Non-Eu citizens and One of UK/EU citizens. you just follow the 2nd queue and you will not spend more than 30seconds at the immigration officers desk.

As an EU citizen you have the right to live and work in the UK and so it would take a lot for you to be denied entry. I think you would need to be a risk to the UK security or having outstanding arrest warrants etc to be denied entry. At the moment there is no compulsory fingerprint scanning of those coming in at the airport.

mrsturner · Post by **mrsturner** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 5:06 pm

thank you all so much for easing my concerns! f2k- are there fingerprints taken at the entry to the ferry in calais?

Post by **Casa** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 5:16 pm

No.
One question though...are you going to be able to support yourself financially if your husband is still in prison?

mrsturner · Post by **mrsturner** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 6:21 pm

well if i can work then i will be able to make money if not i have a little saved at least enough to live on for the duration of my stay. also his family is going to provide us with a place to stay while we are there plus my father lives in Belgium and can provide for us there if all else fails.

INSIDER · Post by **INSIDER** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:17 pm

Mrs Turner

Broadly speaking the advice you have been given is correct. However, due to your previous adverse immigration history you will almost certainly be flagged up as a person of interest when you present your passport, be it Belgian or American. However, rest assured that you will not be refused entry, the worst that will happen is that you will be delayed whilst the immigration officer carries out a few checks on the computer record.

You need not worry needlessly about this it is just routine.

mrsturner · Post by **mrsturner** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:18 pm

i have already booked my ticket now. i really don't want to sit in detention again

especially with my daughter in tow.

ElenaW · Post by **ElenaW** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:48 pm

mrsturner wrote:i have already booked my ticket now. i really don't want to sit in detention again especially with my daughter in tow.

You will not be detained.

UKBAbble · Post by **UKBAbble** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:19 pm

ElenaW wrote:
mrsturner wrote:i have already booked my ticket now. i really don't want to sit in detention again especially with my daughter in tow.
You will not be detained.

Only for as long as it takes to check the previous refusal and ascertain the new passport is bona fide.

ElenaW · Post by **ElenaW** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:45 pm

UKBAbble wrote:
ElenaW wrote:
mrsturner wrote:i have already booked my ticket now. i really don't want to sit in detention again especially with my daughter in tow.
You will not be detained.
Only for as long as it takes to check the previous refusal and ascertain the new passport is bona fide.

Yeah but this isn't really being detained. More like waiting. It's not as scary as when being refused entry.

mochyn · Post by **mochyn** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:58 pm

Elena to the rescue

!

Who needs the cavalry/ marines?

ElenaW · Post by **ElenaW** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:57 pm

mochyn wrote:Elena to the rescue !

Who needs the cavalry/ marines?

Haha who did I rescue?

f2k · Post by **f2k** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 5:06 pm

mrsturner wrote:i have already booked my ticket now. i really don't want to sit in detention again especially with my daughter in tow.

You will not sit in detention. The immigration officer MIGHT ask you a few questions and send you on your way within minutes.

mrsturner · Post by **mrsturner** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:01 pm

yeah i'd say the last time i flew into heathrow was the scariest/worst travel experience i've ever had. i was in a waiting room for 2 full days! i slept on hard plastic chairs with 8-9 other people who didn't even speak english.

Post by **Obie** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 11:00 pm

They are not usually very nice and welcoming at UK airports. However, i am confident you will be fine, as the UK will be violating their treaty obligations if they harass you at their ports.

vignette · Post by **vignette** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 11:05 pm

Out of interest what passport does your daughter have? Does she have a Belgian one too?

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Complicated but interesting

Complicated but interesting