Albertan's dream U.K. trip a nightmare

[ValerieA 350]

No matter where you go, you need to have ties to your home country...or maybe no country trusts Canadians to return home anymore?

http://cnews.canoe.c...9/14317386.html

CALGARY - A few white lies and Leah Spenst would probably be sipping teain a Kent garden today, a six-month English holiday ahead of her.

Instead, the 26-year-old from Carstairs has the nightmarish memory of aBritish jail and a mark in her passport, showing she was punted from the U.K.

Spenst's crime? Being forthright with officials at London's GatwickAirport.

"I was being as honest as I could -- I believe honesty is the bestpolicy," said Spenst.

Instead of a half-year vacation with her southern English boyfriend,Spenst's stay in England amounted to 13 hours in an airport holding cell,followed by an overnight stay in a filthy prison.

The next morning, a guard escorted Spenst onto a plane -- she was soonback in Calgary, angry and upset.

"It was humiliating, being escorted onto a plane. Everyone wasstaring at me."

It started June 4, when a U.K. customs officer started questioningSpenst about her vacation, for which she'd saved up $6,000 and left her job.

Spenst went with the truth, and nothing but the truth -- and that's whenher holiday fell apart.

"I told them I was hoping to stay up to six months," saidSpenst.

"The immigration officer looked at me and said 'We expect by nowthat people of your age have their lives together at home and don't gogalavanting around other people's countries.'"

The problem is, Spenst had also freely confessed to quitting her job ata dental office in Canmore, while giving up her apartment. Worse yet, sheadmitted to a U.K. boyfriend.

In the eyes of the British Border Agency, the Canadian had no goodreason to ever go home again -- thus, she was refused entry.

"The onus is on the applicant to satisfy the immigration officer oftheir intent to leave again," said Courtney Battistone, spokeswoman forthe British High Commission.

If the decision to keep Spenst out was strict, the British borderagency's alleged treatment of the Canadian seems downright harsh.

From 7 a.m. Friday until 8:30 that night, Spenst and another Canadianwoman, denied entry for similar reasons, were left in a small airport room,furnished with metal chairs and a payphone.

When her cellmate asked for change to use the phone, the guard mockedher. "Didn't you bring any money from home?" he said, knowing thewomen had been stripped of their bags and belongings.

Spenst said she was wheezing and told the guard she may need her asthmamedication -- he told her not to bother him with any medical complaints, as itwould require more paperwork.

If the 13-hour airport holding room was tedious and unfriendly, whatcame next was a nightmare.

Frisked for a second time, the two Canadians were bundled into a cagedvan and shipped off to Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre, a prison forundesirables.

Officially, it's a near-hotel for detainees, with religious facilities,gyms and a cinema.

But that's the long-term facility -- the short-term prison, where Spenstwas jailed, was slammed in a recent government report.

Condemned as poorly run and shoddy, the report by the Chief Inspector ofPrisons also says women are housed alongside dangerous male prisoners.

"(It holds) women in wholly inappropriate conditions which couldnot guarantee them adequate and appropriate treatment," the report reads.

Spenst and her cellmate were locked in a dirty cell.

"There were urine stains and pubic hairs everywhere -- when weasked for rags and brooms to clean up, they laughed at us," said Spenst.

One sleepless night later, the women asked for towels to use the showerin their room.

"They told us to just use our bedsheets," she said.

Spenst is now consulting with a lawyer and she plans to officallycomplain about her treatment in the U.K.

An official with the British Home Office in London said all complaintsabout the border agency are investigated.

Meanwhile, Spenst says she wants her name cleared, along with herpassport.

"I hadn't done anything wrong and now I've got this stamp on mypassport, showing I wasn't allowed in," said Spenst.

"I was just being honest."

michael.platt@sunmedia.ca

Edited June 9, 2010 by ValerieA

[Fandango 1,440]

Something similar happened to me actually (was detained at the airport in a locked room of detainees for 9 hours or so), but I called my parents who made a few phone calls, and I was allowed entry.

*shudder* awful experience.

[ValerieA 350]

I imagine it would be. Did you have ties to your home country? You are USC, are you not?

[Fandango 1,440]

I am a USC, yep. No real ties to home, as I had quit my job to go traveling.

[ValerieA 350]

Really, is $6k enough for 6 months in the UK?

[Fandango 1,440]

Well, no, but that's what the bf is for

[Heracles 417]

Really, is $6k enough for 6 months in the UK?

Two months in London max and on a budget.

The UK did the right thing. Had this person had a clue, they would have applied for the one-off UK visa; which allows them to live and work in the UK for up to two years.

[Amby 490]

$6k isn't enough. I've been here a month and spent way more than that.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Amby

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Really, is $6k enough for 6 months in the UK?

Boyfriend was obviously giving her a place to stay so probably yes. I probably spent on average about 500 pounds a month on all expenses not including rent which was 350 pounds and that included utilities, council tax etc. This was before I met my wife...lol then things got expensive.

[CDAgirlMI 51]

I don't blame them for not letting her in.

But the conditions in which they had to stay.....gross.

[mawilson 2,133]

A lone Canadian is such a major threat to the UK economy.

Deport her, while granting amnesty to hundreds and thousands of so-called "asylum seekers".

Ridiculous.

[BlueBonnet 84]

I saw this story on the news last night. She is demanding a written appology from the UK government. All I could think was -- Good luck honey --.

She has visited the UK 6 or 7 times in 2 years. I think after 2 years you would be thinking the marriage issue and whom would be immigrating to where. Im assuming that they both would or should have some knowledge of the process by this stage of their relationship.

I am going to visit my fiance over the summer, I will be honest when asked why I am going and I will have paperwork ready. My morgage papers,home bills showed paid current, insurance on my home and vehicle, a letter from my employer when I am expected back. A copy of a court order showing that I have 2 small children that I care for. A copy of there school scheduale to prove that I need to be here when they go back to school. And a picture of my fiance and I together to make it more personable to the border guard.

There is no way I intend on staying in the USA and I have to many responsibilites here in Canada that I cannot just walk away from. But I really want to see my fiance and want to make sure that I get to.

Even though it may seem heartless what happened to her, anyone here knows that if you are going to another country you need to show strong ties to your own country. Quitting her job, giving up her apartment, lots of money on hand and a boyfriend ... six month stay .. and Im not sure if anyone noticed ... only a 1 way ticket. What would you have done if you were that border guard ?