Immigration questions on entering UK

[BenDToy]

On returning from a recent trip, the immigration officer at passport control asked me where I had arrived from. I initially refused to answer - I pointed out that my passport allowed me access to the UK and her role was merely to establish whether my passport is genuine, and whether it is in fact my passport. She insisted that she had the right to establish where I had been, and I believe she does not Am I correct?
I am prepared to be proven wrong, but please don't berate me for taking a stand. I know it may seem pedantic and argumentative, but there is an important point of principle at stake, in my opinion. She overstepped her authority by accessing for additional information which was not required.

[buildersmate]

Engaging in conversation with those arriving is one tool Immigration Officers use to assess the likelihood of an individual hiding something.
If the response appears tentative and other concerns are raised, further searches could have been initiated.
You could have been smuggling cocaine - it is isn't just Johnny Foreigner that tries to bring the stuff into the UK.

[emmie]

I would think they have every right to question people, and i would have answered the question and likely walked through with no more to be said.

[jd_here]

Sorry Ben, with an answer like that you're asking for trouble. These people have tremendous powers and the more awkward the person they're talking to, the more awkward they can get. She could have held you up for hours. Swallow your pride, answer her questions, smile and move on as quickly as possible.

It's the same scenario you get if you try to argue with the police, the mor you hinder them the more they can hinder you.

[sara3]

they're not Passport Checkers, they are Immigration Officers.

enter the country with that attitude and you can expect to be under the spotlight.

why be so arsey to someone who has an important job to do?

[redvanman]

We need tighter checks OK

[Noraq]

BenDToy
I think you were very lucky not to have been detained for further investigation. It's a measure of the Officer's training that he/she bothered to engage with you beyond the initial question.

[ChuckFickens]

I'm surprised the didn't get the rubber gloves treatment trying to enter the country with an attitude like that towards them.

[Noraq]

=)

[New Judge]

The Border Agency officials have the responsibility of ensuring that those people attempting to enter the UK have the right to do so. They are also responsible for detecting prohibited products or goods upon which excise is due but has not been paid from being brought into the country. They use a number of techniques to enable them to do this including examining documents and questioning those attempting to enter. I cannot find the legislation covering their activities but I would be very surprised if their powers did not extend to asking you where you had arrived from (or indeed asking you anything else which helps them with their key duties).

You could try refusing to answer this seemingly innocuous question upon your arrival. All this will do is arouse the suspicion that you have something more serious which you do not want them to know. It may well be that the information requested from you is not required and it may have been asked just to check your reaction as buildersmate suggests. They almost certainly know where you have been anyway. Passengers have to provide “Advance Passenger Information” now before travelling; your exit from the UK will have been logged on their system; it is a simple matter for them to collate the information and compare it to your passport details when you return. However, this may take a bit longer than it would if you simply told them and they are likely to detain you for further enquiries (which they are perfectly entitled to do).

I am at the head of the queue when denouncing officials who exceed their authority. However, in this case I think you may be on a loser and may find yourself unduly delayed if you persist.

[237SJ]

Blimey, you`re brave. They can ask you anything they like about your travels. So can Customs. Don`t ever try that in the States. They`re vicious enough when you do answer their questions let along when you don`t.

[EvianBaby]

So, where had you been?

[237SJ]

As a point of interest NH, as far as I`m aware a UK citizen`s exit from this country isn`t logged and there is no collating of into when someone returns. APIS is given by the airline to the destination government. The UK authorities would only have the APIS for the return into the UK. They would know nothing about the outbound trip.

[237SJ]

Sorry, meant NJ not NH.

[spudqueen]

It is now the Border Agency, which covers both immigration and customs. so I think that the officer certainly had the right to ask you where you had been. She may have had her suspicions that you'd been somewhere you wouldn't want to declare. I mean, one way of arousing suspicion would be to hang around when you get off the plane before going through immigration so that you're passing through with passengers who got off a flight from Spain (for example) instead of those with whom you've just travelled with from (again, for examples, Colombia!).
Why on earth someone who hasn't got anything to hide would want to keep something hidden I don't know. If it had been me you'd been speaking to you may well still be sat in a cell!

[Messi_Ten]

While BenDToy was being questioned, 500 illegal immigrants probably slipped in through the back door.

Why does everyone issued with a white shirt think they have the right to know what you're doing?

[sitges]

I can tell you that if you are a U.S. citizen and you are returning from Mexico, if you do not tell them where you were, you will probably not be allowed back into the country at all. With all of the problems with people trying to get into the country illegally, I would think that people would be happy to tell the truth on where they have been. We are in the hih tech world now and they probably know where you were anyway, so you might as well tell them. You have to realize that big brother is watching.

[spudqueen]

I asked my neighbour (who works for the Border Agency) about this, and she said that whilst technically they are not allowed to ask where you have been they do do this for a number of reasons. One is to engage you in conversation, to check that you do speak English with an English accent, another is to find out which flight you have been on as they sometimes have targets on certain flights, so finding out which flight you have come off helps them to establish whether people from the targets flight are passing through immigration yet. And sometimes, she says, the person in immigration is just a bit bored and is looking for conversation, and how better to start it at immigration than asking where you've been!

[rsvp]

Don't answer the question, be pedantic and be prepared to be held up. I'm sure you think you have a valid reason for refusing to answer the immigration officer's question but quite honestly I'm of the opinion you a) have something to hide b) you are just being ars*y - if it's 'a' then you may get away with it and if it's 'b' then you've proved a point and I hope you sleep better.