Not flying while brown
Dec 23, 2015 | 2:46 am
#1
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Not flying while brown
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/22/us-stops-british-muslim-family-flight-disneyland-david-cameron
Banning children from seeing Mickey Mouse at Christmas doesn't exactly impress people.
Banning children from seeing Mickey Mouse at Christmas doesn't exactly impress people.
Dec 23, 2015 | 3:13 am
#2
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http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...-david-cameron
Just the airfare cost the family well over $13,000, an amount that the airline is refusing to refund.
And was it US DHS that denied them transport from London-Gatwick airport?
At least one of the passengers in the group has a very common first and last name, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was some US blacklist hit even after the ESTA approval.
This kind of situation should not be a surprise. When the EU refused to act with solidarity to tell the US Government to go pound sand with regard to ESTA implementation and PNR surveillance measures, this kind of thing hitting people headed to vacation to fatten the wallets of Disney shareholders shouldn't be unexpected. But don't expect the EU or UK to do much of anything useful about this when they want to replicate what the US does (and wants the EU/EEA to do) in order to lock down people more than is already done.
Just the airfare cost the family well over $13,000, an amount that the airline is refusing to refund.
And was it US DHS that denied them transport from London-Gatwick airport?
At least one of the passengers in the group has a very common first and last name, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was some US blacklist hit even after the ESTA approval.
This kind of situation should not be a surprise. When the EU refused to act with solidarity to tell the US Government to go pound sand with regard to ESTA implementation and PNR surveillance measures, this kind of thing hitting people headed to vacation to fatten the wallets of Disney shareholders shouldn't be unexpected. But don't expect the EU or UK to do much of anything useful about this when they want to replicate what the US does (and wants the EU/EEA to do) in order to lock down people more than is already done.
Last edited by GUWonder; Dec 23, 2015 at 3:21 am
Dec 23, 2015 | 4:05 am
#4
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DHS employees working its Immigration Advisory Program and/or its Joint Security Program have local official complicity when it comes to DHS' ability to operate abroad.
Will the British government tell the US that such programs should be scrapped in the UK and make the US stop doing so on British soil even if supplied with evidence of US discrimination based on ethnicity and/or religion? I'm not holding my breath in expectation of the British PM really pushing this matter in a meaningful way.
Will the British government tell the US that such programs should be scrapped in the UK and make the US stop doing so on British soil even if supplied with evidence of US discrimination based on ethnicity and/or religion? I'm not holding my breath in expectation of the British PM really pushing this matter in a meaningful way.
Dec 23, 2015 | 4:07 am
#5
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I heard the father being interviewed on the radio this morning.
Border force officers were the ones that spoke to them but told them that they had had notification from US Homeland Security to prevent them flying.
Border force officers were the ones that spoke to them but told them that they had had notification from US Homeland Security to prevent them flying.
Dec 23, 2015 | 4:14 am
#6
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Not surprised if UK authorities were involved to tell them they aren't going. As stated earlier, DHS employees working its Immigration Advisory Program and/or its Joint Security Program have local official complicity when it comes to DHS' ability to operate in the UK and elsewhere. And this dynamic can play itself out in different ways.
It's Norwegian that is the carrier which is refusing to refund the father, his nine children and their paternal uncle their money on a trip to see relatives in California and do the Disney/Universal Studios tourist thing people do in Southern California.
It's Norwegian that is the carrier which is refusing to refund the father, his nine children and their paternal uncle their money on a trip to see relatives in California and do the Disney/Universal Studios tourist thing people do in Southern California.
Dec 23, 2015 | 7:30 am
#7
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Not surprised if UK authorities were involved to tell them they aren't going. As stated earlier, DHS employees working its Immigration Advisory Program and/or its Joint Security Program have local official complicity when it comes to DHS' ability to operate in the UK and elsewhere. And this dynamic can play itself out in different ways.
It's Norwegian that is the carrier which is refusing to refund the father, his nine children and their paternal uncle their money on a trip to see relatives in California and do the Disney/Universal Studios tourist thing people do in Southern California.
It's Norwegian that is the carrier which is refusing to refund the father, his nine children and their paternal uncle their money on a trip to see relatives in California and do the Disney/Universal Studios tourist thing people do in Southern California.
Dec 23, 2015 | 9:30 am
#9
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When it comes to dealing with the US, "flying while brown" mostly hits Muslims.
Non-"brown" Muslims with ethnic European names don't as frequently get flagged down as "brown" Muslims with non-European ethnic names.
Dec 23, 2015 | 10:09 am
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FWIW, the Telegraph says this has now happened 20+ times in recent days and that the victims are afraid to speak 
ut:
ut:
Mr Masroor, from North London, said: Im aware of at least 20 other cases where families are afraid to even speak out.
He said the bans had been handed down for some time, but they appeared to have got more common in recent weeks. He said he believed Mr Trumps proposal was affecting Americas approach to Muslims travelling to the country.
In his own case he was told he could not travel despite having a valid business visa that he had used before earlier this year. He was not given a reason why he could not board the Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow, but claimed other passengers who were wearing Islamic clothing were also questioned by security officials.
He said: We would all be amenable to hearing a reason for the decision, but without any reason, you are just in the dock.
He said the bans had been handed down for some time, but they appeared to have got more common in recent weeks. He said he believed Mr Trumps proposal was affecting Americas approach to Muslims travelling to the country.
In his own case he was told he could not travel despite having a valid business visa that he had used before earlier this year. He was not given a reason why he could not board the Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow, but claimed other passengers who were wearing Islamic clothing were also questioned by security officials.
He said: We would all be amenable to hearing a reason for the decision, but without any reason, you are just in the dock.
Dec 23, 2015 | 12:01 pm
#12
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No reason Norwegian should refund them. Norwegian didn't prevent them from boarding the flight.
Dec 23, 2015 | 12:09 pm
#13
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Government interference in ability to travel as contracted is often a refundable opt-out from contract obligations for airlines. It should be a refundable op-out for passengers too.
Dec 23, 2015 | 12:39 pm
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My bet is that Norwegian's management is going to refund their money.
The USG employee in the US involved in the post-check-in PNR-manifest-review-based denial in the US may not have liked so many related males with co-called Muslim names being on the same flight.
The USG employee in the US involved in the post-check-in PNR-manifest-review-based denial in the US may not have liked so many related males with co-called Muslim names being on the same flight.
Dec 23, 2015 | 2:25 pm
#15
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If that was the basis of denial then that government employee should be held accountable and forced to refund the airfare from their own pocket.