Athens: Several denied boarding, no protest
Jun 16, 2022, 6:51 pm
#31
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Paris
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FWIW, I have never had a passport/ID check reception party at CPH when coming from Greece. At least pre-pandemic. Can’t say the same thing for arrivals in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.
The Greek police probably find it easier to just go through the motions in the lounge so they can go hang out at the gates for the regular boarding where there are more people to check.
I’m strongly opposed to racist profiling, and I don’t like that they do it. This airport thing is part of the dog and pony show to try to inform other countries that Greece takes Schengen seriously and does contribute to protecting the external borders of Schengen despite the challenges the country faces.
The Greek police probably find it easier to just go through the motions in the lounge so they can go hang out at the gates for the regular boarding where there are more people to check.
I’m strongly opposed to racist profiling, and I don’t like that they do it. This airport thing is part of the dog and pony show to try to inform other countries that Greece takes Schengen seriously and does contribute to protecting the external borders of Schengen despite the challenges the country faces.
Jun 16, 2022, 7:15 pm
#32
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The FTer indicated the Greek ones had German ones with them in the A3 lounge. Maybe the flirts at the front desk like the visits from spinach-eating Popeye & Co, but the Greek police and their German colleagues probably know better than to systematically raid the spinach pie and hang out there. It may comes across as lacking professional propriety to hang out like that in places where it’s not free coffee and donuts that keep the uniformed ones coming back again and again.
Jun 17, 2022, 10:18 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: SIN and Medway, UK (so... LCY/LGW/BRU)
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I bet some of them probably think Singapore is some special Chinese province, too!As an aside though I think some of my worst immigration experiences are in the Nordics — they make it like everyone's almost suspect and entering their country for some unsavoury reason, and ask the most inane questions. Oslo seems to have a knack for getting through passport control bloody painful since they grill everyone. And an immigration officer at CPH (when exiting Schengen) asked me why the Prague officers made the dubious decision of stamping the last page of my passport - I don't know, mate, don't ask me, and I'm not judging your probably-dubious decision for having a full tatted sleeve done for Liverpool FC!
Jun 18, 2022, 10:00 pm
#34
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Paris
Programs: AA LT Plat (4m+), AF Plat, A3 Gold, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat/Ambassador
Posts: 2,648
As someone whose paternal family are largely Malaysian passport holders, I'm not in the least surprised I bet some of them probably think Singapore is some special Chinese province, too!
As an aside though I think some of my worst immigration experiences are in the Nordics — they make it like everyone's almost suspect and entering their country for some unsavoury reason, and ask the most inane questions. Oslo seems to have a knack for getting through passport control bloody painful since they grill everyone. And an immigration officer at CPH (when exiting Schengen) asked me why the Prague officers made the dubious decision of stamping the last page of my passport - I don't know, mate, don't ask me, and I'm not judging your probably-dubious decision for having a full tatted sleeve done for Liverpool FC!
I bet some of them probably think Singapore is some special Chinese province, too!As an aside though I think some of my worst immigration experiences are in the Nordics — they make it like everyone's almost suspect and entering their country for some unsavoury reason, and ask the most inane questions. Oslo seems to have a knack for getting through passport control bloody painful since they grill everyone. And an immigration officer at CPH (when exiting Schengen) asked me why the Prague officers made the dubious decision of stamping the last page of my passport - I don't know, mate, don't ask me, and I'm not judging your probably-dubious decision for having a full tatted sleeve done for Liverpool FC!
That said I never had a problem in the Nordics probably because I have an EU passport.
Jun 18, 2022, 11:38 pm
#35
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
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When the Prince of Liechtenstein came to Hong Kong for some army thing there was an interview in the SCMP where he said the immigration officers thought Liechtenstein was a fake country.