posted
I am due to come to the Uk on Monday with my Egyptian husband and because of the problems with flights etc he is really worried about being harrased by the police in the UK because he has an arab name.
We are only coming on a 2 week holiday and will be in the North of England around Manchester. I have tried to explain that police in the Uk are different and he won't have any problems. Can anyone give him some reassurance
Posts: 2791 | From: www.flatsinluxor.co.uk, Luxor, Egypt | Registered: Jan 2003
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iam sorry but no, tell him the truth my friend told me yesterday his mother who was in a wheelchair, old sick lady was stopped, searched and delayed for three hours!! so tell him so he does not freak out. they will just search him if he is clean he will not be harassed just cooperate with them he will be fine.
have a nice holiday
have a nice holiday
Posts: 816 | From: london | Registered: Jul 2006
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they are doing this to every one ,are u worrid cause ur husband is arab that they will make him target ,hey SWEETY U WANNA SEE MY PASSPORT IN AMERICA WHEN I WENT THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHY I TRAVELLED SO MUCH TO SUCH PLACES LIKE PAKISTAN im got relatives there ,then the question is ''how ''u look a little white ,,ahum ahum meaning i cant have relatives,hey dont worry they r just goann be bit more strictonhis entering but nothing more thanusual ,has long has he knows where hes gonnna be then its ok ,my husband came in may ,may allah have mercy o my soul ;;and home office have already made sure hes here so they r aware of who is here now when they enter u will have np problems just a bit more tight security ,wheres ur husband from in egypt mines from the sinai thats worse for him ..have a safe trip home ..
WHY WORRY THEY WERE ALL BRITISH CITEZENS THAT WERE ARRESTED ,SAYS LOT FOR DESIRE
Posts: 4597 | Registered: Jun 2006
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My husband is Egyptian and he has never had any problems from the police whatsoever and obviously he has a very arab name! He has lived here for a number of years and travelled here on his Egyptian and British passport both with me and on his own after 9/11, around the time of 7/7 and the Iraq war.
If it is his first time in the UK then he can expect to be asked a couple of questions when he shows his passport to the Immigration inspector etc such as 'where did you fly from?' but nothing to be concerned about.
At the end of the day I don't believe that the British Police intend to harass anybody but purely to keep things safe for everyone. My husband says that he has never don't anything wrong and doesn't intend to and therefore they can ask him as many questions as they want and search him if they want he couldn't care less as long as he is treated with respect. He thinks it is a shame that you may be targeted because you are Arab looking but at the same time it is a great opportunity to show a positive example of Arab people by being polite and coopoerative if you are stopped.
I was watching a BBC report the other day and it was saying that whilst it is obviously not publicised,airport officials DO look out for people with Muslim names and tanned skin etc. It then went on to say that in the foiled attack several of the suspects were converts to Islam, one was White and with a name like Dan White. Now he most certainly wouldn't have come under their radar with a name like that.
Recently when travelling through Heathrow with my husband we were waiting to go through security and on the wall there was a poster saying ' Please note that passengers could be subject to a random search'. I was reading it and though, hmm I wonder if they will pick my husband ( as he is Arab). Two seconds later a lady tapped me on the shoulder and said that I had been selected for a body search and I am British and White!! Meanwhile DH waited in the queue with everyone else whilst I was taken to an X-Ray machine! At the end of the day I don't think anyone should be concerned about being stopped, searched or asked questions, if you haven't don't anything wrong then you have nothing to worry about. Hope you and your husband have a lovely safe trip.
Posts: 51 | From: England | Registered: Jul 2006
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I know they will ask questions when he arrives, where is he staying stuff like that. He just feels that he will be arrested for no reason. He has never left Egypt before so has no idea how things are in different countries. I keep telling him he has nothing to worry about because he is as clean as a whistle. He spent 6 hours in the Embassy when he got his visa and he knows about being polite and patient. and he was treated with respect there so I shall remind him of that. He has no problems answering qustions he is just nervous about how the police are because he only knows Egyptian police and they are not exactly fair or respectful to the locals.
I lived in the UK with my syrian husband for 12 years before he died. And he never had any trouble either, we travelled loads of places.
Appreciate the comments
-------------------- Jane Akshar UK Co-owner of www.flatsinluxor.co.uk Appartments and Tours in Luxor Posts: 2791 | From: www.flatsinluxor.co.uk, Luxor, Egypt | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Akshar - to try and put your mind at rest, my husband's had no problems at all since he's been here - and nothing's changed in the last few days of heightened security. His family have phoned up a couple of times over the last few days to tell him to be careful here!
None of his friends have ever felt harrassed by police (some have been here for a few years and have not been treated any differently from "locals" whatsoever). It doesn't even cross my husband's mind that he might be victimised here because of his religion. Maybe this is a naive view, because of everything that's happening here, but he just goes about his own life and doesn't do anything to draw attention to himself. We live in a predominantly white area of south-east England, so maybe the stores of race/religion-related stop and searches are more relevant to more ethnically-mixed parts of the country?
Tell your husband not to worry - and to try and start looking forward to your holiday! To be honest, he'll be too busy thinking about how cold it is here at the moment and won't have time to worry about being picked on by police.
Posts: 172 | From: UK | Registered: Jul 2005
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ID STILL RATHER BE HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE ,WE only taking precautions its just we so thick sumtimes how we handel stuff arnt we ,we not like egypt where they slap u in public ,it did once i got slapped here in the uk for taking a apple off a nighbours tree and she had me clippped , and then i go to egypt im 40yers then and i toook a foto of where i was married and he the fking cop pushed me man i realy turned and hit him instead loads of egyptians came running to my aid and shouted with him i was even fully covered makes u wonder where u wud rather be doesnt it ...so hes going to be fine ,just probably they will be more caustious thanusual but dont dont worry ok ok ...
Posts: 4597 | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
Akshar, I wish you and your family a wonderful vacation back home. And I agree with other posters, UK is still on the highest alert, they check out everyone and everything very carefully these days.
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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I guess Akshar has already left for the UK, but in case anyone is wondering the same as her question then I can say yes, most likely any Muslims entering the UK will be stopped and searched after baggage reclaim. I was stopped and searched along with a number of other Muslims (no non muslims). Luckily for me as I have nothing to hide, the person conducting the search was very friendly .... he asked his questions and I answered and we had quite a good conversation He was even kind enough to overlook the fact that I had more duty free items than I should have
I think that the UK stop and search is nothing to worry about ... it's actually a good chance to show the Non muslims that we (some/most of us)are good people. I think the worst treatment actually came to me from Cairo Airport ... it was a bad last impression for me, added to all the other bad last impressions that I had in my last week
Well Alhamdulillah I'm back home now and it was all worth it!!
Posts: 815 | From: London and the other | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I have a friend who visits from the States regularly, and he gets stopped and searched every single time he visits the UK. And again when he leaves, and again when he arrives back in the States. I guess his white caucasian american looks, his middle age, and non-muslim status must mean that he fits some other criteria that suggest either terrorist or smuggler. I really dont think immigration single out only muslims, they are looking for potential illegal immigrants and that tends to be anyone from third world or developing countries. Unfortunately, many of those will coincidentally muslim.
Posts: 1196 | From: www.spiritofthenile.com | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
My husband is blond haired and blue-eyed and once when we were travelling to South Africa from Heath Row for the first time, the police stopped me and asked me if I was with him. I said that I was and they searched me thoroughly. They opened all my luggage and even took the paper off the presents I had with me. They obviously thought he would be too clever to carry guns himself (that is what they were looking for) and that I would be daft enough to carry them for him. When we arrived in South Africa nobody was in the least bit concerned with our luggage.
posted
You should be reasonably safe keeping in mind the UK Muslim presence is Indian/Pakistani. The Bobbies/etc immigration will be doing as they see fit so the wife will more likely be the one searched, as you state.
Posts: 1290 | From: usa | Registered: May 2005
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ohhh where where is it indian /pakistani prescence are sure ,ITS MORE THAN A GODDAMN PRESCENCE IT ENGLINDIASTANI ,AND BY THE WAY IM HALF INIDAN ,,AND BRITISH AND PROUD UR WELCOME TO MY COUNTRY AKSHAR ,,AND MY DOOR IS OPEN TO YOU //W/SALAAMS ..
Posts: 4597 | Registered: Jun 2006
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Akshar my husband sailed through immigration at heathrow. It took seconds. He also had no probs whatsoever in france. Dont worry they are only doing their job, he will be fine..........have a great holiday
Posts: 1500 | Registered: Dec 2005
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Meanwhile DH waited in the queue with everyone else whilst I was taken to an X-Ray machine! 
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and then i go to egypt im 40yers then and i toook a foto of where i was married and he the fking cop pushed me man i realy turned and hit him instead loads of egyptians came running to my aid and shouted with him i was even fully covered makes u wonder where u wud rather be doesnt it ...so hes going to be fine ,just probably they will be more caustious thanusual but dont dont worry ok ok ...
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He was even kind enough to overlook the fact that I had more duty free items than I should have 
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