Which countries interrogate citizens on (re)entry?
 

As the Title says, which countries ask (a lot of questions) of returning citizens? In Canada, I'd be very surprised if a Canadian citizen was not asked at least one single question by the frontline customs officer (places travelled t and purpose of trip). I think U.S. citizens are similarly asked at least a question or two by B.I.C.E. officers?

By contrast in Europe, it seems immigration officers of E.U. member countries rarely if ever ask any questions of their returning citizens (or citizens from another E.U. country) and of course customs officers are seldomly seen. I['ve heard it claimed that immigration officers have no business other than to match your travel document to yourself, and admissibility to the E.U.

What other countries make this list?

The United States.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=358102

Not quite never: I do get asked a few questions on returning to the UK, but this is in a minority of cases, and barely constitues an interrogation. I have been stopped on the airbridge a few times by HM Customs on return from regular trips to Amsterdam, but that's just them looking for drugs. They're pleasant enough, but do look for more (accommodation evidence, for example).

>What other countries make this list?

I think it has to do with whether or not the countries divide up immigration and customs. If memory serves, in the UK you see an immigration officer first, who just cares whether or not you have the right to enter the country.

The customs officer is the one concerned with how many cigars and bottles of rum you have. If you 'follow the green line' you probably never see the customs officer unless you're picked for a random search.

In places like Canada and the US these roles are mostly combined into one person, so there are more questions. I think these questions are mostly just delaying tactics to see if you start to get nervous or sweat, or to see if the illegal parrot in your carryon starts demanding a cracker.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada

Immigration in India used to be notorious for demanding bribes from Indian migrant workers returning home after a few years abroad. They would claim that since the worker had been away for so long they now needed a visa to get into India and the gullible workers would shell out the demanded "fee" in a panic.

I've also been interrogated by Indian immigration on multiple occasions both when departing from and arriving into India as an Indian citizen. My worst interrogation lasted the better part of 2 hours at Delhi. The primary focus is to ensure that Indians who have been resident abroad for many years have not taken citizenship of another country (India does not recognise dual citizenship - you are automatically stripped of Indian citizenship when you receive citizenship of another country).

In March, returning to the US three times, I was given the third degree, at customs while returning from the Philippines, and while returning from Singapore. I had no hassles returning from the UK. In May, I had no hassles returning from Japan. During one of the interrogations, I was able to pick up some words displayed on the computer screen, which may or may not have anything to do with me, but nevertheless unnerved me.

Not true for US. Returning citizen needs to go through immigration first, collect luggage and only then hand in the customs form to the officer. Questioning depends on ?????

After all these years, I really can't figure it out, but it ranges from handing in your form and walking to actually being send for secondary, my first time ever about 2 months ago in DFW, coming back from Japan. My form was marked as possible "commercial" by the form collecting agent, even though I told the agent that I was there for a long, touristy weekend.

Most countries will "interrogate" their citizens on re-entry, to a greater or lesser extent, if they have any reason to be suspicious (rightly or wrongly).

The same thing occurs in Canada. But I believe the first person we contact upon re-entry is actually a customs officer. If they cannot determine your admissibilty to Canada, then you are sent to seen an Immigration officer. They also scribble a number/code on your customs card, and that card is collected by another officer before you leave the baggage hall. If you're the one with the lucky code, they send you over to another room to question you some more.

That's my understanding and my experience of how entry to Canada works... someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I have noticed that the Swiss will sometimes ask a few questions; the agents into Mexico too!

Yes, but the Immigration officer marks the customs form with what the customs officer is likely going to do to you. This doesn't mean that customs won't do more, but it is pretty consistent.

When entering Canada or the US, I've always found that you see the immigration person first, then collect luggage and then go to the customs area to hand your form to a customs person who may decide to ask more questions or search (randomly or otherwise), although the immigration person does look at your customs declaration and writes on it.

It helps if you're nice and pleasant yourself when answering questions no matter how ridiculous it may sound...

I was once held up at an immigration check (in YYZ) when the agent started asking me if the fare she got to fly to HKG was a good deal or not..!

The only question I routinely get at US Immigration is "What kind of food?"

based on my indication that I am carrying food into the United States. The answer is always: "Chocolate!" :D

To add to this, from my fairly recent experience - if the immigration officer doesn't put any mark at all on your customs form, you are going to secondary, and can expect some questions because the customs people won't know exactly why you're supposed to be there.

On the original topic, Australia is one country that will definitely ask questions when a citizen reenters the country, although I probably get more of this because I don't actually live there these days. My wife is a US citizen, and previously when we lived in a country that was neither the US or Australia, she would get more questions entering the US than I would, and I would get more questions entering Australia than she would.