I heard on the wireless the other day that a number of the British people who end up involved in nefarious activities in Syria and Iraq fly to Turkey, and then get a local bus onwards. I suppose the boarder officials asking people leaving the country are trying to suss out if people are off abroad to do bad stuff. I don't reckon PA is one of them, but I suppose that is a reason why people are questioned when leaving.
This may be a silly question but is that still any of their business? I mean this isn't minority report you can't be punished for a crime you haven't committed yet so they couldn't deny you leaving the country surely? It would only matter when coming back to the country, and I doubt the questions on the way onto the Eurostar wouldn't make a difference to the ones back?
Yesterday at Ebbsfleet before boarding the Eurostar, I of course had to show my passport. I didn't really expect the Spanish Inquisition, and maybe this wasn't it, but how many of you have had to answer so many tedious questions when you are a British citizen leaving the the UK?
- Where are you travelling to?
- Brussels
- and what will you be doing there?
- Actually I am travelling on to Prague
- I see, and what are you doing there?
- I live there now
- And what do you do there, are you retired or something?
- I wish. I have my own small business there
- And what kind of business?
- A consultancy
- and what kind of consultancy? (at this point I started to think he was taking the piss)
- Human resources
- and what were you doing in the UK, was that business ?
- visiting friends and family
- OK thank you sir, please pass on to my colleague from French border control (the French official - whose territory I was effectively entering - glanced at my passport and waved me through)
Now it really didn't threaten my journey and didn't last long, but honestly, what was the point of all that? What TF business is it of a UK border official what kind of work I do in Prague, especially when I am leaving rather than entering the UK?
It seems to me the Border Police really don't like Eurostar as I have witnessed a lot of aggressive questioning of obviously innocent EU citizens at Brussels, building up stressful queues in the process. Its as if they resent people choosing the train so as to avoid their endless queues at Luton or Heathrow. Now I read that they have an unpleasant surprise for those who think that by taking the new Eurostar direct from Marseilles they can avoid all that crap. They will make passengers get off at Lille, with all their luggage, go through their frigging control, and get on another Eurostar two hours later. Effectively sabotaging Eurostar's "direct" service.
WTF?
The threat to the UK from international terrorism recently increased to the status of "severe". That is one level under the highest-"critical".
Ive personally always held the view that the authorities are privy to intelligence that we simply dont know about, so you just have to roll with it in these situations.
Indeed, you're not to know for certain why they even questioned you. It could be that they were actually watching someone else to see their body language/reaction, whilst seeing you being interviewed.
That's an interesting and plausible explanation.
It's just that when I then read how they are going to treat all passengers, each and every day, on the "direct" Eurostar Marseilles - London service I get the impression of an organisation whose power has gone to its head. Which also happens a lot, in all walks of life.
Anyway I'm up much later than I should be, but thanks for all the comments. Hope I will wake up to at least find the Border Police haven't got a new one to deal with :-)
Seems unlikely to me. While the "Threat level" has changed the "Response level" has not; it's stayed at "Heightened" and has not been moved to "Exceptional".
While checking passports is obviously part of their job, does anyone know what legislation is used to entitle them to ask such questions? And what would happen if you said "that's none of your business and I'm not obliged to tell you"?
Yesterday at Ebbsfleet before boarding the Eurostar, I of course had to show my passport. I didn't really expect the Spanish Inquisition, and maybe this wasn't it, but how many of you have had to answer so many tedious questions when you are a British citizen leaving the the UK?
- Where are you travelling to?
- Brussels
- and what will you be doing there?
- Actually I am travelling on to Prague
- I see, and what are you doing there?
- I live there now
- And what do you do there, are you retired or something?
- I wish. I have my own small business there
- And what kind of business?
- A consultancy
- and what kind of consultancy? (at this point I started to think he was taking the piss)
- Human resources
- and what were you doing in the UK, was that business ?
- visiting friends and family
- OK thank you sir, please pass on to my colleague from French border control (the French official - whose territory I was effectively entering - glanced at my passport and waved me through)
Now it really didn't threaten my journey and didn't last long, but honestly, what was the point of all that? What TF business is it of a UK border official what kind of work I do in Prague, especially when I am leaving rather than entering the UK?
It seems to me the Border Police really don't like Eurostar as I have witnessed a lot of aggressive questioning of obviously innocent EU citizens at Brussels, building up stressful queues in the process. Its as if they resent people choosing the train so as to avoid their endless queues at Luton or Heathrow. Now I read that they have an unpleasant surprise for those who think that by taking the new Eurostar direct from Marseilles they can avoid all that crap. They will make passengers get off at Lille, with all their luggage, go through their frigging control, and get on another Eurostar two hours later. Effectively sabotaging Eurostar's "direct" service.
WTF?
The threat to the UK from international terrorism recently increased to the status of "severe". That is one level under the highest-"critical".
Ive personally always held the view that the authorities are privy to intelligence that we simply dont know about, so you just have to roll with it in these situations.
Indeed, you're not to know for certain why they even questioned you. It could be that they were actually watching someone else to see their body language/reaction, whilst seeing you being interviewed.
That's an interesting and plausible explanation.
It's just that when I then read how they are going to treat all passengers, each and every day, on the "direct" Eurostar Marseilles - London service I get the impression of an organisation whose power has gone to its head. Which also happens a lot, in all walks of life.
Anyway I'm up much later than I should be, but thanks for all the comments. Hope I will wake up to at least find the Border Police haven't got a new one to deal with :-)
Seems unlikely to me. While the "Threat level" has changed the "Response level" has not; it's stayed at "Heightened" and has not been moved to "Exceptional".
While checking passports is obviously part of their job, does anyone know what legislation is used to entitle them to ask such questions? And what would happen if you said "that's none of your business and I'm not obliged to tell you"?
I think you'd be perfectly entitled to say that. But I'd only recommend it if you weren't really bothered about whether you would miss your train.
Yesterday at Ebbsfleet before boarding the Eurostar, I of course had to show my passport. I didn't really expect the Spanish Inquisition, and maybe this wasn't it, but how many of you have had to answer so many tedious questions when you are a British citizen leaving the the UK?
- Where are you travelling to?
- Brussels
- and what will you be doing there?
- Actually I am travelling on to Prague
- I see, and what are you doing there?
- I live there now
- And what do you do there, are you retired or something?
- I wish. I have my own small business there
- And what kind of business?
- A consultancy
- and what kind of consultancy? (at this point I started to think he was taking the piss)
- Human resources
- and what were you doing in the UK, was that business ?
- visiting friends and family
- OK thank you sir, please pass on to my colleague from French border control (the French official - whose territory I was effectively entering - glanced at my passport and waved me through)
Now it really didn't threaten my journey and didn't last long, but honestly, what was the point of all that? What TF business is it of a UK border official what kind of work I do in Prague, especially when I am leaving rather than entering the UK?
It seems to me the Border Police really don't like Eurostar as I have witnessed a lot of aggressive questioning of obviously innocent EU citizens at Brussels, building up stressful queues in the process. Its as if they resent people choosing the train so as to avoid their endless queues at Luton or Heathrow. Now I read that they have an unpleasant surprise for those who think that by taking the new Eurostar direct from Marseilles they can avoid all that crap. They will make passengers get off at Lille, with all their luggage, go through their frigging control, and get on another Eurostar two hours later. Effectively sabotaging Eurostar's "direct" service.
WTF?
The threat to the UK from international terrorism recently increased to the status of "severe". That is one level under the highest-"critical".
Ive personally always held the view that the authorities are privy to intelligence that we simply dont know about, so you just have to roll with it in these situations.
Indeed, you're not to know for certain why they even questioned you. It could be that they were actually watching someone else to see their body language/reaction, whilst seeing you being interviewed.
That's an interesting and plausible explanation.
It's just that when I then read how they are going to treat all passengers, each and every day, on the "direct" Eurostar Marseilles - London service I get the impression of an organisation whose power has gone to its head. Which also happens a lot, in all walks of life.
Anyway I'm up much later than I should be, but thanks for all the comments. Hope I will wake up to at least find the Border Police haven't got a new one to deal with :-)
Seems unlikely to me. While the "Threat level" has changed the "Response level" has not; it's stayed at "Heightened" and has not been moved to "Exceptional".
While checking passports is obviously part of their job, does anyone know what legislation is used to entitle them to ask such questions? And what would happen if you said "that's none of your business and I'm not obliged to tell you"?
Yes, that is exactly what I was wondering. Of course at the time I didn't feel like testing it. Nobody does, if they have a plane or train to catch, or want to get home. But I have e-mailed them to ask if this is a regular dialogue for outgoing passengers.
The more serious issue is the nonsense they are planning for inbound Eurostar passengers from the South of France. This smacks of bullying. There are two obvious alternatives to making everybody get out at Lille; either build the inbound control at St Pancras and Ebbsfleet - there is room - or better still, check everyone on the train, as used to happen in the past, and stop causing delays and unnecessary stress to millions of innocent people.
I'm afraid that adding the word "Force" to any organisation's title is always going to end in tears. It's the Border Force, now I think. Look what happened to Parcel Force!
I think people are focussing on only the terrorism aspect and applying it to Pragues situation. UKBF does a lot more than look for terrorists and will be questioning travellers from all sorts of perspectives including smuggling (in and out of the UK), money laundering, people trafficking, etc, etc.
At the end of the day Prague was asked a few polite (I assume) questions as to the nature of his trip. This might be because he fitted the profile of a suspect, because they were watching the reaction of someone else seeing this happen (which does occur), to put the actual person of interest at ease in the belief everyone was getting questioned, because of Prague unwittingly and innocently displaying some non-verbal indicators in the queue or a host of other very good reasons. Rather that than we have no controls at all as to who's coming and going.
I respect your points. Its a bit pointless to argue too much about the detail of my experience, however my key point is that this happened on leaving. If it had been inbound, I would just have thought to myself "welcome home", and left it at that. Now here is the thing; last time I left the UK, in April, I flew back from Gatwick. Am I not right in thinking that I passed through an automatic passport clearance gate? Why then do they pass up the chance to interrogate people at a busy international airport, while concentrating on a few middle manager types at sleepy Ebbsfleet? Bearing in mind the Border Police claim they are understaffed...
I'm all for security, efficiently and intelligently applied.
All they want to do is make sure that your story adds up, and that you aren't telling them lies, because although the questions may not seem relevant... They are gauging your nervousness etc.
I drove a BMW (not mine) to France, with 2 kids, neither of which were mine, and one of which wasn't even related to me... Border Control asked no more or less questions that normal, and all they did about the kids was jokingly ask if I was kidnapping them, and making sure they knew me haha.
I never experienced what you did. But living in the Czech Republic I am sure you did not experience anything like this when entering any of your neighbour countries either. Welcome to the Schengen Area.....
You should write a book about your suffering. Six polite questions is too great a price to pay for the authorities to get a view on potential criminal movements. If anything you've downplayed the significance by comparing it to the inquisition. The murder of 40,000 people and torture of countless others pales into insignificance compared to this outrage. Stay strong.
You should write a book about your suffering. Six polite questions is too great a price to pay for the authorities to get a view on potential criminal movements. If anything you've downplayed the significance by comparing it to the inquisition. The murder of 40,000 people and torture of countless others pales into insignificance compared to this outrage. Stay strong.
Yes, very funny. My mate out here who is in the process of relocating to Brighton has confirmed what I wrote above, that at Gatwick there is no longer any physical passport control for outgoing passengers. Have they given up on monitoring "potential criminal movements" ?
I never experienced what you did. But living in the Czech Republic I am sure you did not experience anything like this when entering any of your neighbour countries either. Welcome to the Schengen Area.....
It's great, isn't it?
But of course you can see from this thread why the UK will never be able to join Schengen and therefore why Willie Walsh, Caroline McCall and the Irish twat can sleep easy knowing Eurostar will never seriously compete with them on European short haul.
Honestly, I understand his dismay. I don't understand what business it is of the British Border Police what someone is doing in another country. I don't believe one has to provide such detailed information. Are you not allowed to travel wherever you like to and do there whatever you like to (unless of course you violate the laws of the country you are travelling to)? I am used to this sort of question when ENTERING a country (United States).
Is it the Border Police's business if you are travelling to Belgium to have a couple of beers or a night out in Brussels? Very strange... In my opinion it has nothing to do with suffering, it just sounds very ridiculous.
I feel like this really is making a mountain out of a molehill. 6 harmless questions designed to get a bit of background of individuals leaving the country for legitimate security reasons, which all in all probably took no more than a minute to get through. No great invasion of privacy, no hauling you off to a room and strip searching you and from what I can tell they were all politely delivered. Just because you know you're not a threat, doesn't mean they don't.
Yesterday at Ebbsfleet before boarding the Eurostar, I of course had to show my passport. I didn't really expect the Spanish Inquisition, and maybe this wasn't it, but how many of you have had to answer so many tedious questions when you are a British citizen leaving the the UK?
- Where are you travelling to?
- Brussels
- and what will you be doing there?
- Actually I am travelling on to Prague
- I see, and what are you doing there?
- I live there now
- And what do you do there, are you retired or something?
- I wish. I have my own small business there
- And what kind of business?
- A consultancy
- and what kind of consultancy? (at this point I started to think he was taking the piss)
- Human resources
- and what were you doing in the UK, was that business ?
- visiting friends and family
- OK thank you sir, please pass on to my colleague from French border control (the French official - whose territory I was effectively entering - glanced at my passport and waved me through)
Now it really didn't threaten my journey and didn't last long, but honestly, what was the point of all that? What TF business is it of a UK border official what kind of work I do in Prague, especially when I am leaving rather than entering the UK?
It seems to me the Border Police really don't like Eurostar as I have witnessed a lot of aggressive questioning of obviously innocent EU citizens at Brussels, building up stressful queues in the process. Its as if they resent people choosing the train so as to avoid their endless queues at Luton or Heathrow. Now I read that they have an unpleasant surprise for those who think that by taking the new Eurostar direct from Marseilles they can avoid all that crap. They will make passengers get off at Lille, with all their luggage, go through their frigging control, and get on another Eurostar two hours later. Effectively sabotaging Eurostar's "direct" service.
WTF?
The threat to the UK from international terrorism recently increased to the status of "severe". That is one level under the highest-"critical".
Ive personally always held the view that the authorities are privy to intelligence that we simply dont know about, so you just have to roll with it in these situations.
Indeed, you're not to know for certain why they even questioned you. It could be that they were actually watching someone else to see their body language/reaction, whilst seeing you being interviewed.
That's an interesting and plausible explanation.
It's just that when I then read how they are going to treat all passengers, each and every day, on the "direct" Eurostar Marseilles - London service I get the impression of an organisation whose power has gone to its head. Which also happens a lot, in all walks of life.
Anyway I'm up much later than I should be, but thanks for all the comments. Hope I will wake up to at least find the Border Police haven't got a new one to deal with :-)
Seems unlikely to me. While the "Threat level" has changed the "Response level" has not; it's stayed at "Heightened" and has not been moved to "Exceptional".
While checking passports is obviously part of their job, does anyone know what legislation is used to entitle them to ask such questions? And what would happen if you said "that's none of your business and I'm not obliged to tell you"?
but imagine the uproar if only swarthy and shifty looking foreign types were stopped.
I feel like this really is making a mountain out of a molehill. 6 harmless questions designed to get a bit of background of individuals leaving the country for legitimate security reasons, which all in all probably took no more than a minute to get through. No great invasion of privacy, no hauling you off to a room and strip searching you and from what I can tell they were all politely delivered. Just because you know you're not a threat, doesn't mean they don't.
Well I did try to say in my opener that I realia it wasn't the Spanish Inquisition. But two points. Firstly you haven't been to Ebbsfleet. The guy in the queue behind me was right next to me, and therefore was party to the entire conversation. Why should HE know my travel plans and occupation. Secondly when he asked me what kind of consultancy I have, I didn't tell him the truth because the truth is somewhat more complex to summarise in plain language. Pointless question.
My main point now is that this has been done away with completely at Gatwick, so why still at Ebbsfleet when the Border Force moan about resources? I'm saying they should work smarter, like all the rest of us have to do nowadays.
I feel like this really is making a mountain out of a molehill. 6 harmless questions designed to get a bit of background of individuals leaving the country for legitimate security reasons, which all in all probably took no more than a minute to get through. No great invasion of privacy, no hauling you off to a room and strip searching you and from what I can tell they were all politely delivered. Just because you know you're not a threat, doesn't mean they don't.
Well I did try to say in my opener that I realia it wasn't the Spanish Inquisition. But two points. Firstly you haven't been to Ebbsfleet. The guy in the queue behind me was right next to me, and therefore was party to the entire conversation. Why should HE know my travel plans and occupation. Secondly when he asked me what kind of consultancy I have, I didn't tell him the truth because the truth is somewhat more complex to summarise in plain language. Pointless question.
My main point now is that this has been done away with completely at Gatwick, so why still at Ebbsfleet when the Border Force moan about resources? I'm saying they should work smarter, like all the rest of us have to do nowadays.
I have to been to Ebbsfleet. I printed my mate out a novelty sized boarding pass and everything.
I feel like this really is making a mountain out of a molehill. 6 harmless questions designed to get a bit of background of individuals leaving the country for legitimate security reasons, which all in all probably took no more than a minute to get through. No great invasion of privacy, no hauling you off to a room and strip searching you and from what I can tell they were all politely delivered. Just because you know you're not a threat, doesn't mean they don't.
Well I did try to say in my opener that I realia it wasn't the Spanish Inquisition. But two points. Firstly you haven't been to Ebbsfleet. The guy in the queue behind me was right next to me, and therefore was party to the entire conversation. Why should HE know my travel plans and occupation. Secondly when he asked me what kind of consultancy I have, I didn't tell him the truth because the truth is somewhat more complex to summarise in plain language. Pointless question.
My main point now is that this has been done away with completely at Gatwick, so why still at Ebbsfleet when the Border Force moan about resources? I'm saying they should work smarter, like all the rest of us have to do nowadays.
I have to been to Ebbsfleet. I printed my mate out a novelty sized boarding pass and everything.
I should have done that. Then he wouldn't have been able to ask me his first question, the answer would be staring him in the face, literally
I used to travel from Ebbsfleet a lot, and on the rare occasions police were there they often asked you these questions. I also found it annoying. You never got that at ST Pancras. I'd imagine it's down to the simple fact that with the ammount of people going through St Pancras you can't do anything but question the most suspicious.
As to checks at Lille on Eurostar it's because it's a known route for illegal immigration. From what I understand passengers can get on at Brussels for Lille, and then they used to attempt to stay on the train through the tunnel. I'd guess you can't have passport control in the arrival country, as when they arrive if they claim asylum it's that country who has to take responsibility.
Comments
This may be a silly question but is that still any of their business? I mean this isn't minority report you can't be punished for a crime you haven't committed yet so they couldn't deny you leaving the country surely? It would only matter when coming back to the country, and I doubt the questions on the way onto the Eurostar wouldn't make a difference to the ones back?
While checking passports is obviously part of their job, does anyone know what legislation is used to entitle them to ask such questions? And what would happen if you said "that's none of your business and I'm not obliged to tell you"?
The more serious issue is the nonsense they are planning for inbound Eurostar passengers from the South of France. This smacks of bullying. There are two obvious alternatives to making everybody get out at Lille; either build the inbound control at St Pancras and Ebbsfleet - there is room - or better still, check everyone on the train, as used to happen in the past, and stop causing delays and unnecessary stress to millions of innocent people.
Look what happened to Parcel Force!
At the end of the day Prague was asked a few polite (I assume) questions as to the nature of his trip. This might be because he fitted the profile of a suspect, because they were watching the reaction of someone else seeing this happen (which does occur), to put the actual person of interest at ease in the belief everyone was getting questioned, because of Prague unwittingly and innocently displaying some non-verbal indicators in the queue or a host of other very good reasons. Rather that than we have no controls at all as to who's coming and going.
I respect your points. Its a bit pointless to argue too much about the detail of my experience, however my key point is that this happened on leaving. If it had been inbound, I would just have thought to myself "welcome home", and left it at that. Now here is the thing; last time I left the UK, in April, I flew back from Gatwick. Am I not right in thinking that I passed through an automatic passport clearance gate? Why then do they pass up the chance to interrogate people at a busy international airport, while concentrating on a few middle manager types at sleepy Ebbsfleet? Bearing in mind the Border Police claim they are understaffed...
I'm all for security, efficiently and intelligently applied.
All they want to do is make sure that your story adds up, and that you aren't telling them lies, because although the questions may not seem relevant... They are gauging your nervousness etc.
I drove a BMW (not mine) to France, with 2 kids, neither of which were mine, and one of which wasn't even related to me... Border Control asked no more or less questions that normal, and all they did about the kids was jokingly ask if I was kidnapping them, and making sure they knew me haha.
I was tired and emotional in that picture after spending all day abusing the French.
Whilst Henry was drinking some poofy pink stuff.
I'm sure your housing association has a policy on homophobia.
Kir is a sophisticates drink so I'm not surprised you'd never heard of it or like it.
But of course you can see from this thread why the UK will never be able to join Schengen and therefore why Willie Walsh, Caroline McCall and the Irish twat can sleep easy knowing Eurostar will never seriously compete with them on European short haul.
Is it the Border Police's business if you are travelling to Belgium to have a couple of beers or a night out in Brussels? Very strange... In my opinion it has nothing to do with suffering, it just sounds very ridiculous.
In the hands of untrained extremist rebels in Brussels it could be disasterous for the EU.
It gets me the tick I need for the equality and diversity training.
but imagine the uproar if only swarthy and shifty looking foreign types were stopped.
My main point now is that this has been done away with completely at Gatwick, so why still at Ebbsfleet when the Border Force moan about resources? I'm saying they should work smarter, like all the rest of us have to do nowadays.
As to checks at Lille on Eurostar it's because it's a known route for illegal immigration. From what I understand passengers can get on at Brussels for Lille, and then they used to attempt to stay on the train through the tunnel. I'd guess you can't have passport control in the arrival country, as when they arrive if they claim asylum it's that country who has to take responsibility.