Spring 2003. Pretty soon after the Iraq war started.Dulles International Airport, Washington.
him: So where do you come from now, sir? (flips through my passport, filled with stamps in Arab writing)
him: How long did you stay in Cairo?
me: One day.
him: Where were you before that?
me: In Jordan
him: And how long did you stay there?
me: Also one day.
him: Where did you come before that?
me: Iraq
him: ?!?!
me: Baghdad, Iraq. I work for the UN, you see.
him: Do you have any tickets to prove that?
me: No, I flew on a UN plane.
him: I do not see Iraq immigration stamps in your passport.
me: No, there is no Iraq immigration anymore since the war. The US military checks inbound passengers, but they do not stamp passports.
him: OK, how long where you there for?
me: A week.
him: So where were you longer than a week? Where do you actually live?
me: Well, my legal residency is in Belgium, but I spend most of my time in the UAE. In Dubai.
him: What do you do there?
me: I head the office of one of the UN agencies there. I have the status of an ambassador.
him: Do you have proof of that?
me: Sure. {I show him my UAE diplomatic card)
him: How long have you been living in Dubai?
me: Two years.
him: And before that?
me: I shuttled between Pakistan and Afghanistan
him: …
him: (after two minutes of typing on his computer) Could you step aside for a moment, sir, and come with me?
me: ?!
Thirty minutes later, in a separate room with clearly a number of other ‘doubtful cases’:
him#2: Mr Keyscher (?) (it is difficult to pronounce my name in English)
me: Yes, sir, good evening.
him#2: Evening, what is the purpose of your visit to the US?
me: I was asked by the UN security office to chair a meeting at the World Bank’s office in Washington.
him#2: Are you on an official mission?
me: Yes I am. On UN official business.
him#2: Do you have proof of that?
me: Sure. (I start up my computer and show him the invitation Email)
him#2: What is the meeting about?
me: It is about the UN relief efforts in Iraq. Mostly about the coordination of technical issues between different humanitarian agencies.
him#2: How long do you intend to stay?
me: I fly back tomorrow.
him#2: Where to?
me: To Dubai
him#2: Do you have any other travel documentation than this passport, your Belgian national passport?
me: Yes, I have two UN passports
him#2: Blue or red ones? (the red one is a full diplomatic passport)
me: I have both. (I hand them over)
him#2: Why do you travel on your Belgian passport, if you have a UN passport?
me: It is easier, as I do not need a visa to enter the US with my Belgian one.
him#2: Have a seat sir, someone will be with you in a minute
Thirty minutes later:
him#3: Mr Keyscher?
me: That is me
him#3: I am sorry sir, but we can not allow you to enter the US.
me: ?!?! Why is that?
him#3: You tried to enter on your Belgian passport, but this one is not valid to enter the US.
me: Why not? I was in New York two weeks ago. I fly to the US three-four times a year. I always use my Belgian passport.
him#3: Sorry, but the rules changed. As of last week, Belgian passports have to be machine readable.
me: ?!?!
him#3: They need a strip on the ID-page which is machine readable. Yours does not have that.
me: But two weeks ago, nobody said anything about that at the New York’s immigration office.
him#3: Sorry, but I do not make the rules. And they changed since last week. We can not let you enter the US.
me: But I am on a diplomatic mission. I have a diplomatic status. You have my diplomatic passports.
him#3: Sorry, but that does not matter. Just last week, we stopped a foreign minister from a Middle Eastern country entering the US also. Not the right paperwork neither.
me: Is it possible to speak to your supervisor please?
him#3: I am the supervisor, sir.
me: Can I still speak to your superior, please?
him#3: I will call him on the phone. One moment please.
After fifteen minutes with his supervisor on the phone:
him#3: I am sorry. But we can not let you enter the US. I will call the British Airways representative, and see if you can get a seat back on the same plane you came in with.
me: You do understand that I flew for three days for this meeting, straight out of Iraq? Is there any way anyone could vouch for me? I can call the UN head office in New York?
him#3: No, sir, I am sorry, that decision is final.
me: Can I call someone to let them know I can not make it to my meeting? After all, twenty people will attend, and I was to chair that meeting.
him#3: Sure, here is a phone. But you can are only allowed one local phone call.
me: Can I use my mobile phone to call? The person I need to talk to is from our HQ in Rome. He has an Italian mobile number.
him#3: Sorry, you are not allowed to use your mobile phone here.
I try to call Gianluca in his hotel downtown Washington, but there is no response.
me: (sigh) So, what will happen now?
him#3: We will need to take your photograph and finger prints, sir.
me: ?!?!
Four mug shots, ten finger prints and thirty minutes later:
me: Can I use the bathroom, please?
him#2 (again): Sure.
Back in the immigration screening office, the British Airways representative is talking to him#2.
him#2: …
me: What would happen if I can not get on this return flight?
him#2: We will have to detain you until you can get a return flight. You have a ticket for tomorrow, so I guess that would mean detention until tomorrow.
me: ?! Detention?
him#2: Yes.
him#2: Can I have your tickets please?
him#2 puts my three passports and all travel papers in a sealed envelop.
Thirty minutes later, the BA representative comes back.
she: I have a seat for you.
me: Thank you
him#2: We will escort you to the plane now
me: Can I have my passports and tickets, please?
him#2: No. You will get them back at Heathrow. Do know that the next time you want to enter the US, you will not be able to enter on the visa waiver program for Belgian nationals. You will need a visa. Each time you enter the US, you will be taken for questioning. Front desk immigration officers will not be allowed to let you enter. I need you to sign a paper stating you understood that, and agree to it.
me: Do I have a choice?
him: No sir, there is no appeal for this.
me: For how long do I need to get a visa. When will I be able to use the visa waiver program again? (I sign the papers)
him#2: This is valid for ever. Once refused entry into the US, you can not enter with the visa waiver program anymore. This gentlemen will escort you to the plane.
Two armed men take me outside the building, onto the tarmac. It is night already. It rains. A blinded truck is waiting for me. More armed men. I see cigarette butts on the ground, just outside of the door as we step outside.
me: I am sorry, but can I ask you one favour? I flew in from Cairo, non-smoking. Four hours. Had no time in Heathrow for a cigarette. Then flew trans-Atlantic for six hours, spent two hours here, and now will fly again. Can I have at least one cigarette please?
him#4: (looks at him#5) OK.. A quick one then.
me: That is the only good news I had since I landed here. Thank you.
They escort me back onto the plain. There are no passengers yet. Him#4 and him#5 whisper to the captain and the flight attendant. They look at me. I feel like a criminal.
Six hours later, I step out of the plane in Heathrow and get my papers back. My flight to Dubai leaves in two hours. I need to find a place to smoke a cigarette and call Gianluca again.
UPDATE March 5, 2007
Continue reading The Road to the Horizon’s Ebook, jump to the Reader’s Digest of The Road.
Peter. Flemish, European, aid worker, expeditioner, sailor, traveller, husband, father, friend, nutcase. Not necessarily in that order. (
What you went through was awful. I recieved a lot of questioning when entering the US two weeks ago, and I’m an American citizen! I moved to the UK in 2004 and this was my first visit home since I had moved. The Customs offical wanted to know where I had been, why and with whom. I answered and then he asked (not kidding here) “If you don’t live here anymore why are you coming back?” He was very rude and questioned everything I told him. I was honestly worried for a moment I could be banned from entering my own country. It was nerve-racking. He took ages typing something on the computer and then let me through. If stories like yours are an indication of things to come, it’s not a good sign.
Thanks for blogging your experience.
Are you sure about the date of this story?
According to http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/36114.htm the machine-readable requirement did not go into effect until 26 October 2004. While I do not doubt that the TSA is a waste of time and money, the discrepancy in dates has me doubting the veracity of your claim as well.
Thanks for your comment.
Yep, I am absolutely sure of the dates.
See my comment of March 5 to this post (above) giving the history of the implementation of the ‘Machine Readable Passport’-requirement for countries under the Visa Waiver Program.
Note that besides the general rule, Belgians have been treated as an exception and “citizens of Belgium (only) who wished to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program had to present a machine-readable passport effective 15 May 2003″.
My travel was one or two weeks after that date.
The way I reconstructed the facts was that up to Oct 24 2004, there were still exceptions to the requirement of MRP’s, but it became “general with no exceptions” as of the date you mention.
If anything, this proves how confusing this new requirement was, and how chaotic its implementation really was. With frustrated travellers are a consequence..
Hopefully they will do better with the upcoming bio-metric passport implementation (even if they had a false start with that one already)…
Peter,
Obviously, you missed the memo:)
Next time, to expedite your entry, please follow the protocol. Book your flight to Mexico, and walk across the border.
No muss, no fuss!
(If questioned, simply smile, and reply that you’re only here to do the diplomatic work that Americans won’t do.
Hahaha. I will follow your advice!
))
P.
Wow, what a bunch of America haters!
These comments have been invaluable to me as is this whole site. I thank you for your comment.
Americans… sheesh. As if everyone is dying to get into their country. I commend you on keeping your cool throughout the entire situation. I’m sure those neanderthals would have shot you had you done otherwise.
Thanks for the nice post!
I recall reading a recent article about the integrity of the Belgian passport. There had been many reports of their passports being faked, as well as thousands of blank passports stolen from Embassies and other Issuance angencies such as honorary consulates and even town halls in Belgium. I believe that this is one reason that the CBP and DHS decided to have a different regulation on Belgian passports. Please read through the following article from the New York Times: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE6D6133DF933A25751C0A9649C8B63
I would like to comment that the NY Times is definetly not pro-Bush, let alone a propoganda machine of the US Gov’t. I do not honor the premise of, nor believe the claims that Bush tried to screw over Belgian citizens because of their government’s protest over issues in Iraq and/or Afghanistan.
So before people go and try to make accusations of some hidden political conspiracy and their agenda, please be mindful that sometimes things actually happen for a reason. The rampant increase in the attempted and successful use of fraudulent Belgian passports is the most likely reason DHS changed the protocol on admitting those from Belgium with only the most recent passports so they could with relative ease confirm their authenticity.
Plus, we all know you can’t start trying to be admitted on a different passport once you start using one. Its not like a credit card where if one is rejected we can try all the others.
Nonetheless, interesting read and I understand your lack of knowledge on new regulations due to your work and contact (or lack there of) with authorities, or any modern world concerning such trivial things such as machine-readibility, when you work in conditions where having electricity is a luxury.
If you were travelling on official business, aren’t you issued travel orders as well as having a travel office, whose specific job it is to make sure that these specific issues (such as passport validity) are taken care of?
In 2004 I flew from iran to greece via bahrain,at the very same day the ending ceremony of the olympics took place.
I just showed my password, they didnt even bothered to check ;P Red passports rule ;D
Well, rules are rules, but using a bit of common sense when applying the rules is always desirable. I was involved in a similar paperwork mix-up in Brussels in 2001; the Belgian authorities were very professional, and everything was resolved in less than an hour.
I can give you many other examples of European authorities showing some understanding and common sense without compromising safety and security at all.
I’m not sure if anyone is going to read this but someone really needs to look at the USA’s human rights record. I went to American, feel in love & married my American wife & overstayed on my visa. Then one day I was riding the bus minding my own business, next thing I know, a policeman got on the bus asked to see my I.D. I didn’t have one & told him i’m married to a US citizen but overstayed on my visa. Next thing I know I was hauled off the bus, stuck in prison for 6 months & had my human rights abused on a daily basis & i’ve never committed a crime in my life. I was then deported & now have a 10 year ban to lift before I can return to my wife & kids, all because I wasn’t born in the USA. America was built on immigrants, mostly from Europe. Since returning to England, i’ve read many stories of families being ripped apart for no good reason other than 1 or both parents are foreign nationals. It’s like what the Nazis were doing to people 65+ years ago & it’s wrong. The Department of Homeland Security is run by very, very, very evil people & the rest of the world must do something to make the US government accountable for abusing innocent people’s human rights!
I’m American but live in Dubai, UAE (and before that in the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe).
I have stamps in my passport from Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and all the Gulf countries except Saudi Arabia. Every time I go through US immigration I am harshly interrogated. Last time they went through every number in my mobile phone asking me who they were and why I have them in my phone. It usually takes me at least half an hour to get past immigration in my own country. I was asked “Why would you live in an Arab country when you can live here in America?”
When I was in Iran, I stayed in a hotel that had brass letters above reception reading ‘Down with USA’. I could not have said it better myself!
Down with USA.