Catusa

Just a word of warning to anyone traveling with a non-European passport but permanently resident in Europe that they need to always travel with their residency card. My 18 year old son (US passport holder) who has spent the last 15 years in France and is permanent resident there flew LHR-BRU on a LHR-BRU-LYS itin. Stupidly he did not have his resident card with him because we have never been asked to show it as he travels with his US passport. Belgian police denied him entry to Belgium so he couldn't continue his flight and he was put in airport confinement for 3 days. All his personal items including phone and tablet were taken from him. On the first day they allowed him to call us (we currently live in SIN) to tell us what was happening and we managed to email to the police a copy of our residency cards . Despite this and the fact that he had his student ID card for France and securite sociale card (french health insurance card) the police denied him entry. The police acknowledged that he was a French resident but at that point they said the point was mute. He was driven by two armed policemen and put on a plane to London. In London he was free and we booked him a nonstop to LYS where he entered without difficulty.

So word to the wise, always travel with your residency card even if you have never, ever been asked for it before.