Some advice please.

[wisdom7]

Hello,
Just two weeks ago I went to Lagos Nigeria on vacation from Canada via British Away round trip. Checked in my 2 luggage to be collected at my final destination - Lagos Nigeria.
But on arrival at London Heathrow, I was told that my 2 checked in luggages that were destined to Lagos have been check out in London as my next connecting flight will be next day morning. And that I'll need to go collect my 2 check out luggages and recheck it in to Lagos on my next day connecting flight. That was the reason British Away gave me. My plan was to stay within the Airport till the next day morning and then fly to Lagos as I do not have Transit Visa to London as a Canadian Permanent Resident.
I walked to the the immigration table and explain my plight to one young Indian lady when it was my turn.
She requested for my ticket to Nigeria, I gave her. She requested for my passport and PR Card, I gave her. She asked where I work? I told her. Infact, to cut the long story short, she said I have come to London without a transit visa. I was detained in their office till the next day and treated as a deportee to Nigeria from Canada. Collect my finger print. All effort to explain what happened and my plight fell on deaf ear. Anyway, the next day, they ended up giving me one immigration officer to follow me to locate my 2 luggages that British Away check out in London instead of my final destination - Lagos. And I was finally escorted as a deportee into the same flight I paid for as earlier scheduled during my booking. I felt so humiliated, oppressed, intimidated, bullied and embarrassed. On my way back to Canada, I still went through same route and was not detained.
They stamped my passport which I didn't like.
I felt so bad. Anyway, my question is: Will this incident affect my Canadian Citizenship Application?
They stamped my passport. And I'm sure that Canadian Immigration will see the stamp if I submit photocopies of my passport pages during my Citizenship Application which I hope to submit by next month. Or am I being anxious for nothing?
Please help me with your honest advice to ease my fears and worries.
O' God help me.
Thanks guys,
Wisdom7.

 

[links18]

Not understanding. Were you charged with an offense in the UK? If not, then it sounds just like a normal trip out of the country that you should report when you file for citizenship. If you have already filed--then its hard to see why there is any need to do much of anything really.

 

[lenovo]

No idea why your entrance into the UK will affect ur application.

Just include it as part of your residence calculator

 

[Bethel7]

Well, I have not apply for my Citizenship. But now completing the form.
I don't know if their action means I have been charged. Not experienced in immigration law. l was detained for landing in UK without a transit visa. If not that my bags were wrongly checked out by BA, I will not find myself in this mess. They collect my finger print and treated me as a deportee. And still allowed me to go with my flight as earlier scheduled during my booking. So have I been charged? Is it a criminal offence?
Somebody help me please. If yes, will it affect my citizenship application?

 

[wisdom7]

Hello guys,
I am still expecting replies to my last post or questions. Please help.
Thanks.

 

[scylla]

No - it's not a criminal offence. No impact on citizenship.

 

[Oct13]

I am not a lawyer, but I do not see a problem, whether you were charged by an offense or not!

When you apply for citizenship, you do not include pages from your passport other than the biographical pages. Later on, during the citizenship test you bring your passport. Just, make sure you include that travel in your residency calculator as one of your trips.

 

[wisdom7]

Hello Guys,


Thanks for all your responses. For these fears I had no sleep for weeks. But now I can sleep like a Baby with your answers. Words are not enough to express my profound gratitude for all your help since I started this whole immigration project to Canada. May God almighty bless you all and your seed seeds for ever and ever. As you are helping the poor who cannot afford to hire a Lawyer, may God almighty protect and keep you in all your ways. I wish you all divine peace and joy beyond measure now and forever more - Amen.
I would have like to take you all out for dinner in one of the best restaurant in Edmonton Alberta if you are living in my City.
With your replies, I am now confident to tick 'NO' in all questions under number 8 (a, b,c,d, e,f) of the Citizenship Application Form. (Prohibition Under The Citizenship Act).
However, Thanks a million times.
Regards,
Wisdom7

 

[ramsfe]

Hello Guys,


Thanks for all your responses. For these fears I had no sleep for weeks. But now I can sleep like a Baby with your answers. Words are not enough to express my profound gratitude for all your help since I started this whole immigration project to Canada. May God almighty bless you all and your seed seeds for ever and ever. As you are helping the poor who cannot afford to hire a Lawyer, may God almighty protect and keep you in all your ways. I wish you all divine peace and joy beyond measure now and forever more - Amen.
I would have like to take you all out for dinner in one of the best restaurant in Edmonton Alberta if you are living in my City.
With your replies, I am now confident to tick 'NO' in all questions under number 8 (a, b,c,d, e,f) of the Citizenship Application Form. (Prohibition Under The Citizenship Act).
However, Thanks a million times.
Regards,
Wisdom7

Wait a second ! Actually you thought that you could land in londing without a Transit visa and in fact you needed one ?
How did the carrier let you board the plane ? It is their responsability to know whether you can or cannot enter or transit via an airport! Make sure that you were right, and then take action by filing a complaint to the airline and to the british officials!

first of all, I wouldn't worry, this is not a criminal offense, it is an immigration issue with the UK, all CIC cares about is your PR status in Canada and the number of days spent over here... also, take a look at the Citizenship Act, you will see that whatever happened to you in the UK doesn't result in a Prohibition for canadian citizenship.

Secondly, the number of people who go through such difficult situations when traveling is HUGE... so you are not alone

 

[armaan.ahhmad]

I agree with what ramsfe said. I was deported from England in 2006 even when I had a valid visa to enter the country. However, this is something which is not considered a criminal offense. They did not take my fingerprints etc. I applied for my Canadian Immigration in 2009 and was granted PR without any issues. So you should not be worried about it at all.

Hope this helps.

Wait a second ! Actually you thought that you could land in londing without a Transit visa and in fact you needed one ?
How did the carrier let you board the plane ? It is their responsability to know whether you can or cannot enter or transit via an airport! Make sure that you were right, and then take action by filing a complaint to the airline and to the british officials!

first of all, I wouldn't worry, this is not a criminal offense, it is an immigration issue with the UK, all CIC cares about is your PR status in Canada and the number of days spent over here... also, take a look at the Citizenship Act, you will see that whatever happened to you in the UK doesn't result in a Prohibition for canadian citizenship.

Secondly, the number of people who go through such difficult situations when traveling is HUGE... so you are not alone

 

[wisdom7]

Hello Guys,
I was only connecting the next day morning with the same British Airways and didn't plan to Transit.
But was informed by one of the Air Crew that I will need to collect my luggage and recheck it in the next day morning. The 2 luggage were originally checked in to Lagos directly. So why checking them out in London when my destination was Lagos. And in my attempt to go pick the bags and return to the Airport to lay down over night till my next connecting flight, They held me for landing in London without a Transit Visa. Its incredible.

 

[wisdom7]

Anyway, I just learnt that there is a new Citizenship Reform bill. Has the bill been passed or not?
I am hopping to submit my application by month end.
Any advice on this will again be appreciated.
Thanks,
Wisdom7

 

[Msafiri]

Nigerian nationals are among a select group of nationalities requiring a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) to transit the UK with the most strict condition which is to remain at the one airport (no transfer between any of the London/ other UK airports) among other tough criteria. Canadian PRs that normally have the DATV imposed are upgraded by virtue of presenting their PR Card to those eligible to transiting the UK without a Visa (TWOV). This is a concession under the UK immigration rules so if the immigration officer doesn't buy your story then you get bounced.

Normally when a situation arises with your luggage let the airline deal with it. You file a report and get a copy for your records. BA would have retrieved the bags and delivered them to you in Lagos while you relaxed and continued with your trip. Showing up at the immigration desks without a BA official made it seem you were trying to enter the UK illegally. How does the IO know you really have any bags and/ or if they are missing? Do you think they have time to call BA? UKBA doesn't have your North American primary and secondary immigration lines system where you have time to explain your story in more detail. The UK has a dual one stop immigration check then a customs check. If you were at T5 then UKBA is even more aggressive due to the combined international/ domestic lounge arrangements.

You didn't get deported as you were back in the UK via transit again within the month. You were denied admission likely under one of the multiple sections of paragraph 320 of the immigration rules that you did not have a visa as required. Everyone bounced gets fingerprinted and photographed in case you decide to return again with different details or ever apply for a UK visa which requires your biometrics. What does the paperwork you were given state? It will be difficult but not impossible to get a UK visa in future.

Check your transit visa requirements next time and get a formal transit visa or a visitors visa. Many DATV nationals that are Canadian PRs avoid the UK as a transit point - Amsterdam offers relatively simpler passage. I concur that you should complain to BA explaining your experience. You may get an apology letter at worst and maybe a round trip flight to Lagos voucher at best.

The refusal shouldn't impact your Canadian Citizenship application.

 

[Oct13]

Hello Guys,


Thanks for all your responses. For these fears I had no sleep for weeks. But now I can sleep like a Baby with your answers. Words are not enough to express my profound gratitude for all your help since I started this whole immigration project to Canada. May God almighty bless you all and your seed seeds for ever and ever. As you are helping the poor who cannot afford to hire a Lawyer, may God almighty protect and keep you in all your ways. I wish you all divine peace and joy beyond measure now and forever more - Amen.
I would have like to take you all out for dinner in one of the best restaurant in Edmonton Alberta if you are living in my City.
With your replies, I am now confident to tick 'NO' in all questions under number 8 (a, b,c,d, e,f) of the Citizenship Application Form. (Prohibition Under The Citizenship Act).
However, Thanks a million times.
Regards,
Wisdom7

God bless you and write the best for you. I, in general, try not to stress myself out for something that I cannot do anything about!

Your invitation is cordial and I wish I was in Edmonton

All the best and do not worry much!

 

[shaikat]

Wait a second ! Actually you thought that you could land in londing without a Transit visa and in fact you needed one ?
How did the carrier let you board the plane ? It is their responsability to know whether you can or cannot enter or transit via an airport! Make sure that you were right, and then take action by filing a complaint to the airline and to the british officials!

first of all, I wouldn't worry, this is not a criminal offense, it is an immigration issue with the UK, all CIC cares about is your PR status in Canada and the number of days spent over here... also, take a look at the Citizenship Act, you will see that whatever happened to you in the UK doesn't result in a Prohibition for canadian citizenship.

Secondly, the number of people who go through such difficult situations when traveling is HUGE... so you are not alone

this happened to me once back in 2004 when I was leaving Canada to visit my parents.....airline did allow me to board the plane but the uk immigration told me that I needed a transit visa to catch the next flight....I literally told them to take a hike and they immediately let me in .....after that I have never asked for a transit visa ever.....I think it applies now for certain nationalities.