BritCits

Questions an American spouse of Brit citizen, with ILR was asked on return from a week's holiday in France. #impertinent #inappropriate #comedygold #whatcenturyisthis #specialrelationship

'I flew from Gatwick airport, England to Nice Airport, France, for my one week holiday with some girlfriends from NYC - We all met there. When I entered France, I handed the immigration officer my American passport, and he stamped me in, and said, 'Bonjour, enjoy your stay.'

'Not ONE question asked. I was not asked how long I was staying, where I was going, if I had a return ticket... Nothing.

'When I returned to the UK, at the same airport I left from, I had an entirely different welcome...

'I walked up to his little tupperware booth, and I handed him my American passport, and my BRP permit, or ILR card, which is proof that I have paid an insane amount of money, and been checked out so deeply that Theresa May has most likely personally sniffed my underwear, and I have been PRE-Approved to be in this country, as the spouse of a British citizen, for as long as I freakin' feel like it, and, THIS IS WHAT I WAS ASKED:

1/ "Do you presently reside in the uk?'

2/ 'Why are you residing in the UK?'

3/ "Is your British spouse travelling with you today?'

4/ 'When did your residency in the UK begin?'

5/ 'When did you receive your BRP card?'

6/ 'How long have you been out of the UK on this trip?'

7/ 'How long have you been out of the UK on other trips since you arrived in the UK as the spouse of a British citizen?'

8/ 'Did your British husband travel with you on those trips?'

9/ 'What are the dates and length of those trips?'

10/ 'Are the two trips to France the only trips you have taken without your British spouse?'

11/ 'Do you spend weekends in the UK with your British spouse?'

12/ 'Where is your British husband now? Is he collecting you?'

13/ 'Why did you travel abroad on two occasions without your British spouse?'

14/ 'Did you travel abroad with someone else?'

15/ "Who did you travel with?'

16/ 'How long have you known them?'

17/ "What is the nature of your relationship with these people?'

18/ 'Are you either physically or romantically involved with any of the people you have been abroad with?'

19/ 'How often do you plan to leave the UK?'

20/ 'Is your British spouse aware that you left the UK?'

21/ 'Are you still residing with your British spouse?'

22/ 'What is the address?'

23/ 'Are you employed?'

24/ 'What is the place of your employment?'

25/ 'Are you carrying anything on this list of prohibited items?'

26/ 'What was the purpose of your trip abroad?'

27/ 'Do you and your British spouse regularly holiday without each other?'

28/ 'We need your fingerprints for the purposes of immigration. Would you please place your fingers on the red line?'

And then, when all was said and done, he said, are your ready... Wait for it...

'Enjoy your visit to the UK.'

My... Visit? My VISIT?! Enjoy my VISIT to the UK?

Um, I live here.

I thought we just established that fact, like, 6 times... ?

How about... WELCOME HOME?

Can they legally ask me all of those questions?

I mean, I guess they can... But, duh, he had half of the information he was asking for in his hands. He had my passport, so he could see when I have left the country, and he had my spouse visa in it, with dates on it, and he had my BRP card...

Grrrr... Nice, huh?

I literally stood there writing them down on my magazine. After each question, he stared at me for like 8 seconds, then he entered the info into his computer, slowly, so I noted down what he asked me while he did that.

1954

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sousveillance