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In Britain, It's a Struggle To Prove You're 'Just Visiting'

March 6, 2009 at 12:01 PM | by egw | 2 Comments

The guy probably had it all planned out before they searched his bags. A Mexican national, he declared his intent to visit a few friends in the U.K. before returning back home via Los Angeles. But his suitcase told a different story, and after customs found a note from a friend wishing him a "new life," he was forced to confess that he was planning to stay and work illegally -- and subsequently deported.

He's not alone: After years of relative open-door policies, the three leading British political parties are all calling for greater regulation of who gets into Britain, which could mean trouble for long-haul travelers without visas. And, spurred by a report from the Office of National Statistics which showed that some 214,000 foreign nationals had gained jobs in the U.K. while 278,000 Brits had lost theirs, most of the country is behind them.

The new policies include fingerprinting all visa applicants and tacking fees onto the entry visas for various countries, but it may also mean turning up the heat on legitimate vacationers. Perhaps packing a datebook showing you have something to get back to wouldn't be a bad idea.

Related Stories:
· Hasta la vista, baby [Reuters]
· UK slump poses challenge to support for an open economy [The Australian]
· New visa regulations may harm UK tourism [ASAP.co.uk]
· 2008: UK Stepping Up Its Immigration Game [Jaunted]

[Photo: traftery]

2 Comments

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Return to » In Britain, It's a Struggle To Prove You're 'Just Visiting'

  1. juliab

    Jaunted Contributing Editor

    i am amazed..

    ..that the border control peeps at manchester could understand the spanish on the card. we're not hot at languages over here. we normally think talking spanish is talking english Very Slowly and adding amigo.
    March 6, 2009 at 1:39 PM
    #Permalink

  1. andz23

    Jaunted Member

    juliab

    what is you're problem? you're saying that brits don't like learning other languages? haha ok. but as at border control, its required that you speak another language!. and i don't personally know anyone who doesn't speak fluently in another language or isn't learning.
    March 9, 2009 at 8:39 AM
    Parent #Permalink

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