Crazydre

Well I'm Swedish, and so presented a Swedish ID card; however I live in Switzerland, which I stated when he asked "you live in Sweden?"

lhrsfo

I suspect that this is more to do with Stansted than UKBF. I have found the staff at Stansted to be horribly rude, content with shouting at people rather than helping them.

flatlander

I rarely speak to a human at Stansted but I can definitely concur that when I have, I have spoken to some remarkably rude individuals - rude and insolent in a manner almost optimised to make me lose my rag at them (which I like to think is not that easy to do).

Meanwhile, the UK still has treaty obligations to allow any EU member free passage (with very few restructions that you would know applied to you if they did, you have to be a tosspot of the Geert Wilders level or a criminal to be excluded). Clearly that may not be the case in a couple of years time, but today it is and the UKBA have to let you in and cannot examine you in detail.

I would give them short (if polite) shrift and I encourage anyone else to do so too.

Crazydre

I was so tempted to lecture the bloke at least on what being subject to immigration control means (had he known this, he wouldn't have disagreed when I told him I wasn't), and explain how I'm not delaying anyone by going in an empty queue. However, I'm not a fan of hostile arguments and I suspect it would have led to that.

I have, however, written an e-mail to the complaints unit of the Border Force, explaining at what date, time, airport and booth this took place.

stifle

I didn't think Swedish national ID cards were valid for travel to the UK.

Mizter T

A national ID card from any EEA country (or indeed Switzerland) is good.

Gagravarr

Based on advice from someone on another forum who's an immigration lawyer, I wouldn't advise trying to give a lecture to the problematic border agent. Instead, grit your teeth, smile, and get through. Just after you're through the border, but before you leave the border area, go find the senior duty immigration officer, you might need to ask as they're often in an office. Raise your complaint with them, it'll get investigated, and you don't risk an hour punishment waiting in secondary if the problematic agent decides to get nasty...

Crazydre

They didn't use to be according to Swedish law, meaning if intending to fly directly from a Swedish airport to the UK on it (as opposed to connecting in Denmark, for example), Swedish immigration would not let you exit Sweden.

They now let you travel to non-Schengen countries in the EU, but still not to the CEFTA states (such as Serbia and Macedonia), which, although not part of the freedom of movement, accept it.

In any case, the UK has always accepted them

Mizter T

Interesting stuff Crazydre... any idea what the logic was behind that?

Crazydre

None whatsoever. Swedish law simply used to say that Swedish IDs were only valid in Schengen (and pre-Schengen Switzerland). Now it's the EU+Schengen.

You could re-enter the Schengen Area in Sweden though, and can do so today regardless of where you flew from.

Think we're getting off-topic here...but yeah, it's purely idiocy, just like in the Stansted video I linked

Crazydre

Got a reply from the Border Force complaints team in Dover. Amongst other things, it says:

Whilst Border Force would not seek to encourage EEA and non EEA passengers from queuing in the alternative nominated areas, which on occasion could affect or frustrate prompt passenger processing and management, there is no law to prevent either group selecting the queue of their choice.

So, there's the answer, black on white.

Fortunately I took a note of the officer I got the second time (i.e. the one in the video), so they can identify him.

Calchas

^ That is actually a useful thing to know, even as a full British and EU citizen, for the next time they try to force everyone to use the machines while the desks queues are empty.

Although my current approach of not taking my headphones out and pretending I cannot hear anyone until I actually reach an Entry Clearance Officer Border Force agent remains my preferred method

HawaiiO

Does LHR has a "fast track" for premium class pax?
Is it only EU and non-EU lanes?

Thanks!

Calchas

Terminal 5 has a fast track for non-EU citizens in longhaul J or F.

:D!

You mean a UK Border Force agent.

The nearest Entry Clearance Officer to the UK works in Paris and nowadays they have no contact with the public. They receive visa applications from non-EEA/Swiss citizens by diplomatic bag via VFS Global application centres and communicate their decisions by email and letter.

10 years ago, there was one in almost every UK embassy/consulate/high commission and (at least in Asia) they would emerge every July to explain the UK student visa process to prospective students...