Kremmen

Troy Newman is an American who {denied but some claim} advocates killing doctors if they provide abortions. One of his followers has murdered a doctor and another, still the "Senior Policy Advisor" of his group, spent 2 years in prison for trying to bomb a clinic. As a result, Troy was barred from entry to Australia.

He took video of himself arguing with United staff in Denver and not even being allowed onto the plane to LA yesterday. Subsequently, United appears to have flown him to LA and even allowed him to fly to Melbourne. I wonder whether United will be fined?

(SMH article)

Moderator Note

For the purpose of this thread - let's limit discussion to the travel on revoked visa issue & UA related issues and not the activities that led to the revoked visa.

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

blackllotus

Isn't that the TSAs job?

IAH-OIL-TRASH

No. The onus is on the airlines to make sure passengers have valid visas/passports for departures.

Kacee

fly7b2

Those poor gate agents...

Wonder what Australia will do!

Kremmen

Sure, that's what a bureaucrat says now. I wonder if it will actually happen? It may also depend on how our law is written. If he manages to overturn his ban in court, maybe that will let United off the hook? Still seems a surprising risk for UA to take unless someone paid them a lot to do this.

docbert

You can guarantee there's going to be a lot more to this story.

Australia no longer issues physical visas - they are all electronic, and all visitors other than New Zealanders require visas or an ETA.

As a result, Visa/ETA checks for flights to Australia are automated by the airlines check-in systems. No *valid* visa/ETA, no boarding your flight.

One way or another, I'll put money on Newman faking something to get onto this flight, which will likely remove any responsibility from the airline for letting him board.

tryintogohome

I flew to OZ one time without a visa on my Brit passport, I had been a resident for a few years before moving to the US, I just forgot to get it.I spoke to the immigration guy for about 10 seconds who said "make sure you get one next time mate" and that was the end of that.
But I have never been banned from a country or bombed anyone either

mahasamatman

No. At the point in time where they let him on the plane, he had no valid ETA.

grapegrower

Little doubt he will be deported and United fined.
So he was denied boarding in Denver to connect with a LAX-SYD flight.
How did he manage to get to LAX and then board a LAX-MEL flight?
It is reported in the local press here he is known by two names......wonder if he has managed to circumnavigate the visa revocation process that way.

LordTentacle

Agent in DEN probably relented because at the end of the day the DEN-LAX flight was not INTL and UA could not easily deny him boarding to that flight


In LAX... if he was traveling with an entourage... he could have easily swapped boarding passes with someone as the UA gate agents do not check passports against boarding passes most of the time

For those not aware of Aus visa's...
Section 116 of the migration act is pretty broad
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/c...8118/s116.html

The really relevant section is
(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), the Minister may cancel a visa if he or she is satisfied that:
(e) the presence of its holder in Australia is or may be, or would or might be, a risk to:

(i) the health, safety or good order of the Australian community or a segment of the Australian community; or

(ii) the health or safety of an individual or individuals;

My personal hope is they take him off to Naru for offshore processing for a few months before deporting him back to the USA

ozziegumby

The SMH article's video isn't working for some reason but somebody has uploaded it to YouTube.


In the video he shows the two boarding passes - DEN - LAX and LAX - MEL. Somehow he managed to check-in without them seeing no valid visa (the system somehow failed or the agent did not check properly?)

Quite a few of his Facebook posts from supporters have said he has been arrested. No doubt that adds to the whole 'unfairness' of our Government.

aCavalierInCoach

Are you certain about that? I had a really tough time getting checked in for a trip down under that originated at SJC -- the process of putting the Visa into the system seemed kind of clunky/manual (to the point where I'd be surprised if they were actually inputting it into a field that automatically processed/interfaced with the Aussie gov't systems)

ozziegumby

What do they do for the 'OK TO BOARD' stamp? Is it one more final check just in case somebody's visa is cancelled at the last minute?

Kacee

Here's the latest from ABC:
Troy Newman Detained After Flying to Melbourne

Shaping up to be a very interesting story!