antikantian

I'm booked in first on BA from ORD-LHR-LCA, and as I enter the jetway to board, two CPB agents (full gear, vests, sidearms, the works) are inspecting tickets. They get to me and pull me aside. The agent proceeds to ask me questions about my itinerary, why I'm traveling to Cyprus, names, addresses, telephone numbers of my family members there, my profession, and, finally, "do you have any plans to travel to Syria?" "Have you been in contact with any members of ISIS?"

Are they serious with this increased scrutiny? I'm assuming they pulled me aside because my final destination was LCA; however, the line of questioning is baffling. What am I going to say, "yes, officer, absolutely, I'm planning on being in Aleppo the day after tomorrow?"

Almost the same thing happened to me AGAIN two weeks later, sans CBP. Booked ZRH-LHR-IAH in first on BA. Flew into ZRH from LCA a day earlier. Security in Zurich was quick and efficient, as expected, but, at LHR, as I hand the gate agent my ticket, she says that I've been "randomly" selected for additional screening. They escort me down some annex to the jetway, and give me a full pat-down, along with completely unpacking my carry-on. This is AFTER I waited nearly 30 minutes going through Heathrow's abysmal security.

Can anyone think of any other reason for them pulling me aside, other than the fact that I was traveling to/from Cyprus, which has a significant tourist industry, in addition to a large expat population? FWIW, I'm male, early 30's, very western European in both name and appearance, traveling on a US Passport.

GUWonder

Cyprus Lebanon Syria or money hunt.

The security contractor hit at LHR isn't all that unusual.

Both together isn't all that unusual for frequent travelers of this route.

I normally wouldn't worry about it unless this keeps happening a bunch of times in a row even when you change routes.

But what is concerning more than usual is the hunt for names, addresses and telephone numbers of relatives. Did they attempt to record that? If so, then there's probably an issue.

antikantian

Actually, yes, the CBP agent did scribble everything down in a notepad. It did feel like an invasion of privacy; however, since I knew that border security at LCA was going to ask me for the same information, along with computer-verification of said information, I just let it go.

The money-hunt does make sense, since at ORD, the agent asked me if I was carrying over $10,000, stressed that I was legally entitled to carry such amounts, etc.

Normally, I'd just chalk it up to coincidence; however, what had me concerned was that my luggage was delayed for four days on the way there, AND on the way back.

First flight, MIA-ORD-LHR-LCA, bag stayed behind in MIA and I didn't receive it until four days later. On return, ZRH-LHR-IAH-MIA, my bag made it to IAH, at which point I went through customs and rechecked it; however, it failed to arrive at MIA, and I didn't get it back for another four days.

I don't remember the last time I had a bag go missing, let alone twice in two weeks at different US airports.

FlyIgglesFly

I've had the type of questioning before, albeit on a one way ticket from CAI-DOH-JFK, in business on QR. It's unsettling, especially as a US citizen. My question is, what happens if you refuse to answer? They deny your right to travel on the basis of your refusal to be interrogated?

GUWonder

Why would passport control at LCA ask you all the same exact stuff as asked at ORD and then verify it by computer? I've been to LCA dozens of times and they've never asked me much of anything on arrival at LCA.

GUWonder

If it's just a money hunt -- as it most commonly is -- then they will check your info, your belongings, and perhaps even your person for goods and reportable cash/cash-equivalents; then they let you go on your trip -- if your flight is still at the gate.

The cash and ISIS questioning isn't all that ordinary but some of the people have been trained to look for cash going toward ISIS and don't have such a great ability to understand the nuances that make such a combination unlikely for any given CBP employee to encounter at ORD unless the person is already targeted for investigation as a material supporter of a banned organization or as unregistered foreign agent.

antikantian

Not the same questions, just 1) address where you are staying, 2) with whom are you staying. Family member has a home there, and I couldn't remember the street number, at which point the passport control agent told me the number after looking up family member's name in her computer. She left out the Syria/ISIS stuff

This questioning at LCA only seems to be a recent development; in the years prior, my experiences at LCA align with your own.

I'm planning on flying back into LCA sometime in the spring, probably on a one way since it'll be an extended trip. Based on what I've read and my last experience, I expect a full-cavity search and/or to be placed on the SSSS list.

jphripjah

CBP officers can't perform a cavity search on a whim. That's a myth. They need good reason to believe you are smuggling, and cavity searches have to be performed at hospitals, by doctors, after they get lots of supervisory approval. CBP won't perform a cavity search on you for refusing to answer their questions.

You're a US citizen, and if you've committed no crime, CBP has very little power over you other than the the power to delay you and search your bags and make you miss your flight. That's it.

I sometimes refuse to answer questions on arrival in the US. I'd be less likely to refuse to answer on an outgoing flight, because (a) CBP would undoubtedly hold me until after the flight departs, and (b) CBP might tell the airline "this guy is refusing to answer questions and we think he might be a threat so you may not want to let him fly at all." Then the airline can cancel/refund your ticket and you'd have to rebook with someone else, and then CBP agents could meet you at the jetway again.

STBCypriot

Oh great. Some more annoyances to look forward to. I am a US citizen and I live in Cyprus (RoC). I'm flying in business class ECN-IST-AUH-JFK next week (first time flying out of ECN; usually fly out of LCA) on Atlasjet and Etihad. Hopefully the pre-clearance guys in AUH are not operating under the same procedures.

GUWonder

If you're amongst the first to board and have checked luggage, the chances of "you're free to confirm that I have nothing more that legally needs to be declared but I'm not playing this interrogation game" causing a missed flight are low. That is if the search is just a fishing expedition for attempted unlawful cash/cash-equivalent export.

jphripjah

The OP was asked if he was visiting Syria and in contact with ISIS. If he refuses to answer those questions, do you think a CBP officer would just say "Oh, carry on then, enjoy the flight?"

No. The CBP officer would make sure that he missed the flight as punishment for not answering questions. Or, stated differently, the CBP agent would thoroughly and in good faith investigate why he was refusing to answer questions about whether he was a terrorist, and that thorough, good faith investigation would include a search of his checked luggage and take about two hours and conclude well after the airplane was on its way to London.

GUWonder

I had asked around to see if someone I knew was asked the same kind of question at ORD, and he said he refused to answer such a ridiculously prejudiced question and said as much. He, a "brown" lawyer and fan of the ACLU, made his flight after they dug into everything. The key is to have checked luggage and be amongst the earliest to be "boarded".

And if there is a route where missing a flight is possibly not all that disruptive by days, an ORD-LHR routing is one of the best for rebooking/rerouting if needed. It also helps not to be on the last ORD-LHR flight for the day.

Answering a LEO question about having plans to travel to Syria is a risky trap. Even if a person has no plans booked to visit Syria, they may have made other sorts of plans to travel to Syria that they have no clue about when those plans will be realized. I had planned to visit some ruins in Syria decades ago, and those plans to travel stay on my shelf unless and until the USG considers Syria an appropriate place for tourists to visit historical sites. No matter how I answer that question about "do you have plans to visit Syria", it's a no-winner situation. It's like asking the CBP employee when he or she stopped beating his/her sexual partner. You risk retaliation. But answering a federal LEO question (and being recorded for such answer) can be used against you in a way that a non-answer response cannot. I'd rather risk a misconnect on a trip than assist the government in making me a target by way of my own words.

FliesWay2Much

This is similar to the TSA clerk asking you if you packed anything sharp right before they rip through a carry-on. Having been tempted to say something like, "Frankly, your safety was the last thing on my mind when I packed my carry-on.", I now answer this question like this: "Well, if I say "no" and you poke yourself with a pencil point, I've lied to a federal officer (patronizing him/her for the moment). If I say "yes" I've just incriminated myself (another stretch, I know...). So, I guess I will just decline to answer."

Given this type of jetway questioning, I would make them bound their interrogation by asking them a few questions: "Are you asking me if I plan to travel to Syria on this trip? Or are you asking me if I ever plan to travel to Syria?" Depending upon their answer, I would then say: "If you look through my passport, you will not find a valid entry visa for Syria." (I don't even know if you can get a Syrian entry visa before you depart or not. I know that, in Jordan, you can either get one at the embassy here in DC or get one when you arrive in Amman. Either way, I haven't lied if I declare that there's no entry visa in my passport.) Or, "I can't possibly answer your question if I ever plan to travel to Syria in the future."

Yes -- You might be subject to all sorts of retaliation causing you to miss your flight but at least you wouldn't incriminate yourself.

Flaflyer

If this is all it takes, then there is EZ end to the War on Terror. Have the airlines ask one question when you check in. “Are you a terrorist?”

Answer NO, and you continue your trip. Answer YES and get rebooked on the next plane to Gitmo. Why didn’t the whole US Government think of this years ago?

Super80Fan

In the government's eyes, everyone is guilty until proven innocent.