Feedback from the experience of using a Canadian passport to visit Europe for "a racialized person"? . Landing at CDG, Paris, France.

[akbardxb]

Hello everyone. Here is my experience with traveling to Europe (Schengen Area) with a Canadian passport for a person with origins other than ''caucasian'', or ''white'':

As a precaution, I chose to land first in Spain, at Barcelona-El Prat airport (BCN). Indeed, Spanishs (Italians, Southern Europeans in general, and Germans as well), are not particularly known for their systematic discrimination at points of entry into airports, such as Belgians or French people ( Read the news article I mentioned in my first post).

Although my family and tourist visit had France as its main destination, I initially wanted to make a trip to Spain as well: So I landed in Barcelona via an Air Transat Yul-BCN flight. The flight was mostly filled with Quebec retirees going on vacation (Air Transat organizes full tours, not just commercial flights).
Believe it or not: when leaving this plane, and before recovering the luggage, you have to go through customs: There were only 2 customs officers, and many, many people: The customs officers stamped the Canadian passports on the chain, without even saying hello to people or asking questions: It literally took them 3 or 4 seconds per stamp!!

I saw in the queue before me a person with an African passport: This person went through further interrogation, passport and visa passed through a verification device several times, etc...

My turn had come: Smiling and confident, I approached the customs officer like this:

- Hola senior, coma esta la situation ?

The agent seemed delighted with my effort to communicate in his mother tongue.

- Hola... Hablais Espanol?
- A poco.
- ... Kukuna, eh? ( My name )
- So senior, Soy yo Kukuna.
- Ablas Africano?
... I chose to laugh at his ''joke'', he laughed a lot too, and put the stamp in my passport while continuing to laugh...

Conclusion :

I prefer, by far, this type of ''jokes'' and the ''yellow laughs'' that go with it... Than the questionnaires that I lived before being Canadian.
I had NO questions about my stay: duration, return ticket, reason for the trip, money I have in my possession, nothing, no such vexatious questions...

I'm really relieved, I was able to travel with a kind of dignity and ''normality'', without judgment or presumption of lies or fraud for a tourist trip.

I am so grateful and so happy to be Canadian!

I will never forget the queen to whom I had sworn allegiance during the citizenship ceremony: Peace to her soul, and long live to the king! God save the king !

* Tip; always try to greet the agent in their mother tongue... Kind of respect.

Great to hear of your trip!

Being of Indian descent, I would never try this is India. They take a perverse delight is harassing their own kind. Tried this banter once in Delhi and regretted it immediately. The joker wanted to see an 'approved leave application' from my employers to visit India.

Have travelled to many places in Europe, Asia and NA with my Indian Passport, but never felt as uneasy as I did in India while going through immigration.

 

[AMR2011]

To obtain the citizenship of a free, democratic and developed country is an honor and an important event in the life... Especially when one comes from a country of the “third world”, in Africa.

I am happy and very honored by this. I obtained my citizenship several months ago, and my Canadian passport only a few days ago, which I asked for to be able to make a trip to visit my family settled in Europe, but also for tourism, in some European countries. . The landing will be in France, Paris.

From my former life as a national of an underdeveloped country, and even having had the necessary visas in the past, I have very, very bad and even traumatic memories of my experiences at European entry points in airports. , especially in Europe (Precisely in France, and in Belgium).

Despite having a visa, customs officers at the airport often rely on your "ethnicity" to decide whether they will "investigate" more, ask more questions, and even ask for supporting documents ( return plane ticket, money, hotel reservation, nature of our job, etc, etc )

I know it may seem exaggerated or excessive, but it is unfortunately the sad truth... A French-speaking journalist from Quebec made this sad observation in French airports, I refer you to his article:
https://www.lapresse.ca/societe/chroniques/2022-06-05/le-privilege-blanc.php

In short, my question is very simple, for those who have already had this experience: Is there systematic racism at the points of entry into Europe (France or Belgium), when you have a Canadian passport, but 'we don't have the ''right color'', or is the Canadian passport powerful enough to avoid these childishness at the entry points?

Of course, I am in order and even more, I am very careful and I took all the imaginable precautions (hotel reservation despite that my family will be able to accommodate me, cash in addition to credit cards, return ticket, etc., etc ) .... But I want at all costs not to relive these humiliating and traumatic events.

...I even think, if necessary, to change my plan to land in France, and to do it in a border country, say, Spain, with the additional expense that this implies, to avoid living again these stressful, traumatic and humiliating situations. What do you think ?

Thank you to all those who will provide constructive answers and who will share their experiences!

Its not about which country you come from that matters.. but it is the individual persons impression when he sees you. I agree with you on all you say, but you first dont think that getting Canada passport should treat you fairly. You are a human being as a Canadian is, wherever you are born in this earth. If one person doesn't understand this, you need not change your behaviour for it. And this will happen anywhere and you or not anyone can control this. Why do you think Canada is developed state? Today there are more developed countries than this and there are booming economies outside.

 

[canvis2006]

I’ve never faced any issues in europe while visiting or transiting.
various airports: brussels, lisbon, vienna, frankfurt, munich, amsterdam, london, zurich, geneva, paris, etc. All very fast.
Always a quick greeting and stamped in.

Going to the US from Toronto Pearson airport (us pre-clearance is a small inconvenience when get sent to imm secondary) but they’re usually quick to clear me on the way. Its just the delay (waiting for 5-10 mins while they take my cdn passport inside to stamp it). Its just due to name or whatever system bs.

Enjoy your travels. As long as you have the means to support your stay and cards/funds to exit and onward tickets it shouldn’t be an issue. Even if they ask u a couple of questions, try to enjoy the experience.