Here is one, sorry about the long read. Link is posted below the story.
Passport Control at Heathrow
This campaign update was written by an Action Network user not the BBC
Created: 16 Jun 2005 | Updated: 16 Jun 2005
By Kathleen Whalen
"On May 11th, I planned to visit my boyfriend in Newcastle. I flew from JFK airport in New York and had to change terminals at Heathrow to catch a connecting flight. I had already missed my intended flight, and I was very nervous while I was waiting in the passport control line in Terminal 1 because this was the first time I had ever traveled outside the U.S.
When it was finally my turn to approach one of the kiosks. I handed the woman my passport my ticket to Newcastle. I had intended to stay in the U.K. for 6 months, because on all the websites about visiting the U.K. it had said that I could visit for 6 months, and I was under the impression that as long as I had the address and phone number of where I was staying, and a return ticket. I'm only 20 years old, and like I said, this was my first time out of the country. The reason I had decided to stay for so long, was because my boyfriend and his mother had agreed to support me while we waited for his work visa to be approved, so we could both move to LA and I could figure out what I wanted to do with my education. And seeing, as how I don't have many responsibilities yet, it seemed like a good time for an academic break.
I told the officer I was visiting a friend and his mother, and she began to ask me increasingly invasive questions. Feeling uncomfortable I answered briefly, as I was not accustomed to being asked such intrusive questions such as who was paying for my education and so on.
I told her that my parents would be supporting me during my trip, and that they also paid for my education, as I'm living with my mother in California. The reason I had left from JFK was because I was visiting family in Pennsylvania, and the ticket to Newcastle was cheaper from New York, and shorter.
She asked me more questions about my schooling and my job situation. I told her I was a full time student and I work temporary jobs, which I had just quit since I was leaving for so long, but I was still enrolled at my college as a full time student. I had also been awarded a California grant for the next school year, and I would have to be enrolled by Spring semester in order to recieve it. At this point, it became clear to me that the officer had no idea about the differences in English and American culture because she asked me if I had ever been to university. I told her they were the same thing, thinking it odd that she did not know that.
She then asked me for the number for my boyfriend and his mother. I gave it to her and she said she would call them because "this didn't sound right".
I sat down in a chair nearby wondering what I had done wrong and why I was being treated like I was a criminal.
She came back 20 minutes later only to tell me that I had been deceptive by saying my boyfriend was a friend, rather than a boyfriend and that she would be making further enquiries, but she would have to work on the passport control line first before she dealt with me. I was once again pushed aside and forced to wait. Since I have never had to deal with this before, I became frightened and had no idea what was in store for me next.
The officer had someone take me to the baggage claim, where of course my bag was not there, since it had been checked through to Newcastle. I was taken into a large room where a woman patted me down and my photo was taken. I was obviously upset as I was no longer able to control the tears which now freely flowed down my face. The people working there were very nice and tried to calm me down.
I waited here, without any idea what was going on and why I was being detained for saying I was visiting a friend. I wasn't aware I was supposed to divulge all my personal information, which I'm ure most people would feel uncomfortable about telling a complete stranger.
I was detained for about 3 hours before the immigration officer came back to ask me more questions. I was physically and emotionally exhausted at this point. It had been three months since I had seen my boyfriend, and I was less than an hour away from him. The officer did not make any phone calls to anyone to verify any information I provided. She had told my boyfriend's mother that she would call her back after the initial phone call, but she never did.
After the officer repeated the questions she had asked before, she told me she would talk to her supervisor but he probably would not stamp my passport, because I had been deceptive. Rather than trying to give me the chance to verify any of my information, she decided that I had lied because I said "friend" not "boyfriend". Every person I have said this to hereafter has the same reaction I do, "the difference is?".
The immigration officer told me to calm down because at this point I was on the verge of becoming sick. I waited another 2 hours before a man brought in one of my pieces of luggage(the one without any of my clothes in it) and asked me if it was mine. I told him yes, but I had anohter suitcase. I then asked him if that meant they had decided to deport me, he said he didn't know. I was able to get in touch with my boyfriend, who had been waiting at the airport for 3 hours, waiting expectantly for my arrival. I had him contact my mother for me so they she could contact my dad or sister, who were still at work, so they could pick me up in the event that I was deported. My boyfriend and his mother made every attempt to talk to immigration and have this resolved. She told them where they could send their documents, but what she failed to mention was that in 15 minutes she would be leaving, thus making it impossible for the decision to me over turned, even though the immigration officers they talked to after that were far more sympathetic. She told my boyfriend that she believed I would try to stay illegally and "get lost in the system", which first of all would be an error on their part, secondly I gave them a permanent address where I would be staying, which if I did attempt to stay would result in my arrest and deportation and also my boyfriend and his mother would be arrested. Why would anyone, especially a person who was from the U.S., was dressed nicely and obviously not someone who did not have money, risk something like that?
Shortly before the officer was to leave for the day, obviously intent on being rid of me as soon as possible, she gave me a form showing she had booked me on a flight leaving in three hours time, and a letter saying why she was not granting me leave to enter:
"You have asked for leave to enter the United Kingdom as a visitor for six months but I am not satisfied that you are genuinely seeking entry as a visitor for the limited period as stated by you because you have practised deception at the immigration control regarding your relationship to [boyfriend]. You lack sufficient funds for your proposed trip and you have provided no evidence that you have access to additional funds. Furthermore I am not satisfied that you intend on returning to the United States of America."
If she had bothered to call anyone that I had told her I was recieving support from, or even bothered to stay long enough to look at the documents my supporters were sending, then she would have seen that I did infact have the support needed. I also realized that I had the award letter for my grant in my suitcase that was missing, and when I asked to see it, they told me I could not get into because there wouldn't be enough time before I had to leave. I asked the officer why I had been forced to wait 6 hours with no idea about what was going on, and she told me that she had to deal with the passport control line before she dealt with me. I then asked if I could go to my embassy, she refused and would not give me contact information either. I asked her if I could have a lawyer, or if I had any rights at all for that matter. She said no and that I could appeal when I returned to the U.S., however she did not supply me with any information about appealing the decision. At the moment I am still having trouble finding anything about appealing it on my own.
Since no one had contacted my family about my situation, there was no one there to pick me up at the airport. At this point I had been up for 72 hours and was alone in New York, with my bag with all my clothes still missing. It turns out, they had never even retagged the bag, so they had no idea where it was, I finally got it a week later, but the suitcase (which was brand new) had been completely destroyed. Zippers where torn off everywhere, the handle was crushed, and the seem at the top was ripped open corner to corner. My belongings had been searched and haphazardly thrown back in, there wasn't even a not to sya it had been searched.
To make matters worse, since I was missing a bag and there was no one nearby to pick me up (my family is about 2 hours from the airport), my sister told me to get to Pennstation and take the rain to Trenton. After over an hour long bus ride, I arrived at the station to find the bridge had burned and no trains were coming or going, which from what I've heard never happens. I was told to take the subway a couple blocks down to Newark and take a train from there to Trenton. One of the wheels on the suitcase I had had broken off and the thing was very heavy, only adding to my exhaustion. I got on the subway train when my dad called me, yelling at me not to go to Newark since it was late at night and it was dangerous. He convinced me to walk all the way back to Pennstation and stay at the hotel and take a train in the morning. I barely made it to the hotel without colapsing. I waited in line, got a tiny room which was not worth the rate they were charging and called my family and my boyfriend and cried until I passed out. I was staying on the 13th floor and the next morning was Friday the 13th.
I got a train in the morning and finally met up with my sister who tried to cheer me up by taking me shopping.
Recently, I applied for a visitor's visa. I got a letter back from them today which says they refused it. I don't understand since I gave them more than what they asked for. A letter from myself explaining my situation, letter from my dad saying he can support me and that I am coming back, letter from his employer showing he is employed(he didn't feel comfortable providing bankstatements of pay slips), letter from my boyfriends mother saying she can support me and that I am staying with her to visit my boyfriend for a period no longer than 6 months, bankstatements from her, proof of my enrollment in school, and a planned itinerary. The reasons they gave for refusing my visa look as if they didn't even bother to look at my documents, but instead just looked at my what the immigration officer had to say about me:
"You were previously refused entry at Heathrow Airport on 12/5/05 when you failed to satisfy the immigration officer that you were genuinely seeking entry as a visitor for the limited period as stated by you. At that time you proposed to enter the UK for a period of six months to visit a friend, [boyfriend's name], and his mother.
You stated that [boyfriend's name] was a friend and nothing more. However, by your own admission you later stated [boyfriend's name] was your boyfriend. You informed the Immigration Officer that you had missed your final exam at University and had no intentions of returning to finish the course. You also stated that you had quit your temporary job. You stated that you have $500.00 available to you. However, you have not submitted any evidence of this. I note that you have submitted a letter from Los Rios Community College showing that you have enrolled for the Autumn. Hoever, I am not satisfied this is not to facillitate your entry to the UK.
In view of the above, I am not satisfied, on the balance of probabilities that it is your intention to leave t [sic] the UK at the end of your proposed stay"
First of all, I never said I had no intentions of returning to finish my course. I was very clear to the officer that I was on academic break, and that at the time I decided to return by Spring semester so that I could recieve my grant money. I decided to enroll for Fall semester, because this whole ordeal has cost me quite a bit of money, so I need it. The reason I didn't provide bank statements is because I don't have any. I am staying with my sister (which I stated) and the visa page clearly states that if you are being sponsored that you send their bank statements as proof.
I don't understand why this has happened. I don't have a criminal record. I'm only 20 years old, and I didn't realize the UK had to protect itself from single 20 year old women. The officer told me the reason she stopped me was because I said I would stay for 6 months, and that is usually a warning sign for them. Then why do they say that the maximum amount of time you can stay is 6 months? It doesn't make any sense to me. I have a feeling the officer I had was prejudice against Americans because when I told her I had no intention of staying longer, she said that she had listened to other Americans in my position. What do other Americans have to do with me? I am completely seperate from them and they from me, isn't it wrong to base a decision off of other people? She never even told me her name, I only know it now because my boyfriend specifically asked her on the phone. My mother even called immigration and told them to tell me I could call her collect if I needed to, a message which was never given to me. At this point I am at a complete loss for what to do.
I feel like I've done something horribly wrong and nobody seems to want to listen to what I have to say about it.
At the moment, since we just found out my visiting the UK is out of the question no matter what, we are looking into hiring a lawyer and trying to apply for a fiance visa, as we still have no idea when his work visa will go through. I'm at a loss. This whole thing makes no sense to anyone I talk to about it. "
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbradio4/F1764 ... ead=658480
Just because we like to throw around stereotypes and assumptions about each other, does not mean we’re always right. You are right, though, that the UK isn’t obliged to let in all Americans, which was my point. Many Americans (being the spoiled brats with a sense of entitlement that we are) don’t realize that. Healthy bank account or scraping the barrel, we’re all treated to the same scrutiny when we show up with no docs, no return flight booked, and no idea about immigration rules. It didn’t feel fair at the time, but now I know better. Hopefully more Americans are getting that message and avoiding disappointment.
