USA Continues to Abuse Innocent UK Tourists

UK Tourists urged to go elsewhere. SB.

North America
May 02, 2004
The Sunday Times

As the USA puts the squeeze on tourists we find classic America
elsewhere

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/arti...096842,00.html

May 16, 2004

The Sunday Times

And the abuse goes on ....


May 16, 2004

US claps British tourists in irons
David Robertson and Dipesh Gadher

THE Foreign Office is investigating a surge in complaints about the
heavy-handed treatment of British visitors to America by US
immigration officers.
Tourists and business travellers have been detained for hours —
sometimes in handcuffs or leg chains — and then denied entry into the
country for minor transgressions, some of which have turned out to be
unfounded.

Some have been deported after being falsely accused of having
terrorist links. Dozens of other visitors have complained about
aggressive behaviour from airport officials.

A security crackdown in the wake of the September 11 atrocities in
2001 has led to a general rise in the number of complaints about US
immigration, but last week the Foreign Office said it had been
contacted by about 100 concerned Britons in the past 12 months.

A number of British travellers who claim to have been mistreated have
raised their concerns with The Sunday Times.

Savinder Bual, 28, from Merton, south London, flew to America at the
end of March to make an educational film. On arriving at New York's
JFK airport, she was separated from her colleagues and quizzed by an
immigration officer about a trip to San Francisco she had made in
1996.

"He asked me how long I had been in San Francisco that time and I
explained that I had stayed three months in my university holidays,"
said Bual.

"Then he said, ‘You do know how many days are in a month? A waiver is
only for 90 days and you stayed three months.' He seemed very smug
that he had actually found something to pin on me."

The officer claimed Bual had overstayed by four days and ignored the
fact that she had visited America again in 1998 without the issue
being raised. Her feet were shackled and she was held in a detention
room overnight.

The humiliating experience reduced Bual to tears and she was deported
12 hours after her arrival in New York. But she has since discovered
from an old diary that she had not overstayed in 1996. "I was shocked
to think this goes on and I hope that the Americans realise they
cannot treat people like this," she said.

Another victim is Neil Forrester, 33, chief technical officer of an IT
firm in Brighton. He was held by immigration officers at Los Angeles
airport in February 2003.

Forrester, who was travelling with his daughter and pregnant wife, had
his passport stolen during a visit to America in 1996 which meant that
the immigration services had no record of him leaving the country on
that occasion.

Accused of overstaying, Forrester was handcuffed in front of his
family and led to a detention room where he was photographed,
fingerprinted and body-searched. He was not allowed to call his wife
or a lawyer and was deported after 24 hours. He is now banned from
entering America for 10 years.

"This is a real problem as my wife and daughter are both US citizens
and I can't visit our family over there," he said.

British citizens of Asian origin, particularly Muslims, appear to have
been affected the most by the security clampdown. Adam Riaz Khan, 24,
from Enfield, north London, was detained in February at Atlanta
airport while in transit from Mexico to Britain.

"They asked whether I had been to Iraq, Iran, Somalia or Afghanistan,
and when they found the Koran in my bag I could see they thought they
were on to something," he said. "They insisted that Bin Laden was my
uncle and asked me if I thought America should be an Islamic state."

Riaz Khan, who had been on holiday in Mexico for a month, was also
asked if he knew how to make bombs. He was deported to London after
being questioned for seven hours.

The Foreign Office says it is seeking an explanation from the US
authorities about each complaint. British officials and their
counterparts from other European Union countries have also jointly
raised concerns "at various levels" in America.

"We take seriously complaints from British nationals about treatment
they have received from American immigration," a spokesman said. "But
the Americans decide their policy." Some 4m Britons visit the US each
year.

The US Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for
immigration, said its officers were fair and professional and would
correct any errors they had made. [********].

So let me make sure I understand this.....100 complaints out of 4 million
visitors.

Matt



"S.Byers" wrote in message
m...
UK Tourists urged to go elsewhere. SB.

North America
May 02, 2004
The Sunday Times

As the USA puts the squeeze on tourists we find classic America
elsewhere

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/arti...096842,00.html

May 16, 2004

The Sunday Times

And the abuse goes on ....


May 16, 2004

US claps British tourists in irons
David Robertson and Dipesh Gadher

THE Foreign Office is investigating a surge in complaints about the
heavy-handed treatment of British visitors to America by US
immigration officers.
Tourists and business travellers have been detained for hours -
sometimes in handcuffs or leg chains - and then denied entry into the
country for minor transgressions, some of which have turned out to be
unfounded.

Some have been deported after being falsely accused of having
terrorist links. Dozens of other visitors have complained about
aggressive behaviour from airport officials.

A security crackdown in the wake of the September 11 atrocities in
2001 has led to a general rise in the number of complaints about US
immigration, but last week the Foreign Office said it had been
contacted by about 100 concerned Britons in the past 12 months.

A number of British travellers who claim to have been mistreated have
raised their concerns with The Sunday Times.

Savinder Bual, 28, from Merton, south London, flew to America at the
end of March to make an educational film. On arriving at New York's
JFK airport, she was separated from her colleagues and quizzed by an
immigration officer about a trip to San Francisco she had made in
1996.

"He asked me how long I had been in San Francisco that time and I
explained that I had stayed three months in my university holidays,"
said Bual.

"Then he said, 'You do know how many days are in a month? A waiver is
only for 90 days and you stayed three months.' He seemed very smug
that he had actually found something to pin on me."

The officer claimed Bual had overstayed by four days and ignored the
fact that she had visited America again in 1998 without the issue
being raised. Her feet were shackled and she was held in a detention
room overnight.

The humiliating experience reduced Bual to tears and she was deported
12 hours after her arrival in New York. But she has since discovered
from an old diary that she had not overstayed in 1996. "I was shocked
to think this goes on and I hope that the Americans realise they
cannot treat people like this," she said.

Another victim is Neil Forrester, 33, chief technical officer of an IT
firm in Brighton. He was held by immigration officers at Los Angeles
airport in February 2003.

Forrester, who was travelling with his daughter and pregnant wife, had
his passport stolen during a visit to America in 1996 which meant that
the immigration services had no record of him leaving the country on
that occasion.

Accused of overstaying, Forrester was handcuffed in front of his
family and led to a detention room where he was photographed,
fingerprinted and body-searched. He was not allowed to call his wife
or a lawyer and was deported after 24 hours. He is now banned from
entering America for 10 years.

"This is a real problem as my wife and daughter are both US citizens
and I can't visit our family over there," he said.

British citizens of Asian origin, particularly Muslims, appear to have
been affected the most by the security clampdown. Adam Riaz Khan, 24,
from Enfield, north London, was detained in February at Atlanta
airport while in transit from Mexico to Britain.

"They asked whether I had been to Iraq, Iran, Somalia or Afghanistan,
and when they found the Koran in my bag I could see they thought they
were on to something," he said. "They insisted that Bin Laden was my
uncle and asked me if I thought America should be an Islamic state."

Riaz Khan, who had been on holiday in Mexico for a month, was also
asked if he knew how to make bombs. He was deported to London after
being questioned for seven hours.

The Foreign Office says it is seeking an explanation from the US
authorities about each complaint. British officials and their
counterparts from other European Union countries have also jointly
raised concerns "at various levels" in America.

"We take seriously complaints from British nationals about treatment
they have received from American immigration," a spokesman said. "But
the Americans decide their policy." Some 4m Britons visit the US each
year.

The US Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for
immigration, said its officers were fair and professional and would
correct any errors they had made. [********].

S.Byers wrote:

Savinder Bual, 28, from Merton, south London, flew to America at the
end of March to make an educational film.

Your subject line says "tourist". It sounds like there was an intent to
make a film while traveling under VWP. This doesn't make her a tourist.

"Matt" wrote in message
...
So let me make sure I understand this.....100 complaints out of 4 million
visitors.

Matt


And how many are chronic malcontents who would complain no matter what? KM
--
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alohacyberian wrote:

"Matt" wrote in message
...

So let me make sure I understand this.....100 complaints out of 4 million
visitors.


And how many are chronic malcontents who would complain no matter what? KM

Like people that stumble on some stairs in Rome and blame it on the
seating space when flying to Paris.

"mrtravelkay" wrote in message
. com...
S.Byers wrote:

Savinder Bual, 28, from Merton, south London, flew to America at the
end of March to make an educational film.

Your subject line says "tourist". It sounds like there was an intent to
make a film while traveling under VWP. This doesn't make her a tourist.


Also the story about Neil Forrester doesnt ring true.
You dont get banned from entering the USA for
10 years for being denied entry under the VWP.

Keith

"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...

"mrtravelkay" wrote in message
. com...
S.Byers wrote:

Savinder Bual, 28, from Merton, south London, flew to America at the
end of March to make an educational film.

Your subject line says "tourist". It sounds like there was an intent to
make a film while traveling under VWP. This doesn't make her a tourist.


Also the story about Neil Forrester doesnt ring true.
You dont get banned from entering the USA for
10 years for being denied entry under the VWP.

Read the article. He was accused of overstaying on a pervious visit.
Overstaying
your visa or entering illegally can get you banned anywhere from 5 ytears to
life.



Keith

"Charles Newman" wrote in
message ...

"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...

"mrtravelkay" wrote in message
. com...
S.Byers wrote:

Savinder Bual, 28, from Merton, south London, flew to America at the
end of March to make an educational film.

Your subject line says "tourist". It sounds like there was an intent
to
make a film while traveling under VWP. This doesn't make her a
tourist.


Also the story about Neil Forrester doesnt ring true.
You dont get banned from entering the USA for
10 years for being denied entry under the VWP.

Read the article.

I did

He was accused of overstaying on a pervious visit.
Overstaying
your visa or entering illegally can get you banned anywhere from 5 ytears
to
life.


The operative word being 'can'

A 10 year ban usually requires something more than
simply overstaying a visa.

Keith

mrtravelkay wrote in message .com...
S.Byers wrote:

Savinder Bual, 28, from Merton, south London, flew to America at the
end of March to make an educational film.

Your subject line says "tourist". It sounds like there was an intent to
make a film while traveling under VWP. This doesn't make her a tourist.

Read more carefully. She had been to the USA under VWP in 1996.
According to the story the Immigration Officer wrongly thought that on
that occasion she had overstayed by four days, and therefore prevented
her from making the film. The article says nothing about the visa
under which she had been trying to enter the USA to make the film.

As for those posters who point out that the number of complaints is
relatively low in relation to the total number of visitors to the USA,
surely they are defending the indefensible. Incidents of the kind
alleged simply should not happen, at all. Such behaviour is not
acceptable from any country that claims to be civilised: no country
that permits such practices, even in a relatively small number of
cases, is fit to be allied with a member of the EU.

Of course, the allegations may be false, but they are so consistent
with other reports (eg those posted by the Bill Mattocks) that I am
inclined to believe them.

On 17 May 2004 04:33:41 -0700, (david) wrote:

mrtravelkay wrote in message .com...
S.Byers wrote:

Savinder Bual, 28, from Merton, south London, flew to America at the
end of March to make an educational film.

Your subject line says "tourist". It sounds like there was an intent to
make a film while traveling under VWP. This doesn't make her a tourist.

Read more carefully. She had been to the USA under VWP in 1996.
According to the story the Immigration Officer wrongly thought that on
that occasion she had overstayed by four days, and therefore prevented
her from making the film. The article says nothing about the visa
under which she had been trying to enter the USA to make the film.

As for those posters who point out that the number of complaints is
relatively low in relation to the total number of visitors to the USA,
surely they are defending the indefensible. Incidents of the kind
alleged simply should not happen, at all. Such behaviour is not
acceptable from any country that claims to be civilised: no country
that permits such practices, even in a relatively small number of
cases, is fit to be allied with a member of the EU.

Of course, the allegations may be false, but they are so consistent
with other reports (eg those posted by the Bill Mattocks) that I am
inclined to believe them.


It is sad to see so many Americans now beaten in to submission by
their government's propaganda machine. They will now even defend the
shackling of an innocent visitor mistakenly accused of some petty
technical offence, simply due to failings in the US immigration
system. The woman had actually done nothing wrong, even what she was
accused of was simply staying a few days too long on a previous visit,
yet they chained her legs. Once this would have seemed absolutely
incredible, but in today's USA nothing surprises any more.
--==++AJC++==--