Passenger escorted onto plane by armed officers

DadBodAlready · 03/09/2025 09:09

PrincessofWells · 01/09/2025 21:09

That sounds like a very racist post. Are you a racist.

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Actually it wasn't and No, and for the record I'm from a mixed race family.

PrincessofWells · 01/09/2025 21:09

DadBodAlready · 01/09/2025 11:17

If he was being deported from Germany to UK, hardly surprising there were no Officers to meet him (probably would have been if be had a British passport). Immigrants are given free rein in the UK, remember, under this Gov't immigrant rights are more important than those of British Nationals.

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That sounds like a very racist post. Are you a racist.

TheignT · 01/09/2025 20:55

I've seen it the other way round, armed officers getting on the plane and dragging a couple of men off. It was back in the 80s when hijacking was a big thing, another plane was hijacked that weekend so I don't know if it was a tip off about hijacking.

HollyGolightly4 · 01/09/2025 20:50

LoremIpsumCici · 01/09/2025 07:46

@HollyGolightly4 and @MeandT
That is very rare these days as a change in the law means that if any airline brings a passenger that is rejected at the destination border control, they then have to bear the cost of deporting them back to their origin. In addition, if they are too lax in checking passports & visas before boarding they can be fined by the government affected.

Sadly, it happened to me two months ago...! And the border police described it as a 'common' problem.

Mayana1 · 01/09/2025 12:38

OfftoWorkIGo · 30/08/2025 19:40

I would have been keeping an eye on him myself! Surely if he was dangerous though the police would have stayed with him. On the other hand why did he have to be escorted on to the plane?

Even if you have the wrong documents you need to be escorted back. Absolutely no need for panic or assumptions he was a criminal.

Mayana1 · 01/09/2025 12:36

latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 19:34

I took a flight from Germany to the UK yesterday and noticed at the gate were two armed officers waiting with a paper document at the gate. Then, that particular passenger was escorted onto the plane before anyone else, by both officers, they filled out paperwork before the rest were allowed onto the flight. No police were not with him on the flight though. He was in the front seat and very calm during the flight. What on earth was this about?? Lots of people were really worried

But he was not handcuffed. Then they are escorted with a police and sometimes they stay with them. But they can be deported, which doesn't mean they're criminals. Might they just weren't able to extend their visa on time.
Was working on Heathrow, seen it before.

DadBodAlready · 01/09/2025 11:17

MirrorMirrorontheFall · 30/08/2025 19:51

It sounds like a deportation. They’ll have escorted him on board to make sure he actually got on the flight. After that point, he’s not their problem, hence not being met at the other end or accompanied during the flight. Presumably there was no reason to suspect he was a safety risk, so no need for them to stay with him. They’ll have been armed because police officers in airports are routinely armed.

If he was being deported from Germany to UK, hardly surprising there were no Officers to meet him (probably would have been if be had a British passport). Immigrants are given free rein in the UK, remember, under this Gov't immigrant rights are more important than those of British Nationals.

SirBasil · 01/09/2025 09:18

still intersted in the "heavily armed" OP

All German police carry a sidearm as standard. At airports security details often carry something more machine-gun like (can't remember off the top of my head what they use) etc etc

More shocking for me is whenever i get to heathrow and see British police with sub machine guns.

Sadcafe · 01/09/2025 08:12

Never been to an airport abroad yet where police aren’t armed, unlikely it was anything serious given as no escort on the plane

notimagain · 01/09/2025 08:07

@LoremIpsumCici

If they are too lax in checking passports & visas before boarding they can be fined by the government affected.

Yep, and the fine is non-trivial in many cases..for example the charge for carriers bringing
an individual into the UK without a valid immigration document or visa can be £2000 per passenger involved.

LoremIpsumCici · 01/09/2025 07:46

@HollyGolightly4 and @MeandT
That is very rare these days as a change in the law means that if any airline brings a passenger that is rejected at the destination border control, they then have to bear the cost of deporting them back to their origin. In addition, if they are too lax in checking passports & visas before boarding they can be fined by the government affected.

MeandT · 01/09/2025 07:03

HollyGolightly4 · 01/09/2025 06:29

Not necessarily with easyJet @LoremIpsumCici

Or any other airline, frankly. They'll happily sell you the ticket from one airport gate to the other...what happens when you get to passport control is down to each individual traveller having their act together!

HollyGolightly4 · 01/09/2025 06:29

Not necessarily with easyJet @LoremIpsumCici

LoremIpsumCici · 01/09/2025 06:18

MeandT · 01/09/2025 02:06

No idea why you'd assume he was a wrongun... far more likely it was a South African or similar working here, whose colleagues had gone 'yeah, totally, just grab cheao weekend flights to X German city, it's great'.

And they did. without realising they need a Schengen visa to enter EU, so got turned around at the passport desk.

Deeply unlikely to be anything sinister in these circumstances 🤷🏼‍♀️

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If this were the case, he would have been denied from boarding any flight from UK to EU. It is highly unlikely he would get to Germany and then be caught.

LoremIpsumCici · 01/09/2025 06:15

MirrorMirrorontheFall · 30/08/2025 19:51

It sounds like a deportation. They’ll have escorted him on board to make sure he actually got on the flight. After that point, he’s not their problem, hence not being met at the other end or accompanied during the flight. Presumably there was no reason to suspect he was a safety risk, so no need for them to stay with him. They’ll have been armed because police officers in airports are routinely armed.

^This
British + illegal migrant is a thing.

HollyGolightly4 · 01/09/2025 06:09

samarrange · 31/08/2025 22:12

I'm not sure what you mean by "6 months", but here are the passport rules for entering the Schengen area with a visa waiver (e.g., Brits):

On the day of entry, the passport must be less than 10 years old, as determined by the day of issue
On the expected day of exit, the passport must have 3 months of validity left, as determined by the day of expiry

There is no requirement for the passport to have 6 months left on the day of entry. This was widely misreported circa 2021 (including, for several months, on the UK government's own website, ugh) but it is now correctly reported here.

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The guidance is clearly not very helpful, as pointed out that it was reported wrongly!

I was told it was 6 months.

The issue date must be within 10 years.

I've had a traumatic experience recently in case you were thinking I sound bitter 🤣

Notashamed13 · 01/09/2025 02:07

MeandT · 01/09/2025 02:06

No idea why you'd assume he was a wrongun... far more likely it was a South African or similar working here, whose colleagues had gone 'yeah, totally, just grab cheao weekend flights to X German city, it's great'.

And they did. without realising they need a Schengen visa to enter EU, so got turned around at the passport desk.

Deeply unlikely to be anything sinister in these circumstances 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Meh. I'm allowed an opinion. And i'm allowed to assume.

MeandT · 01/09/2025 02:06

Notashamed13 · 31/08/2025 21:54

Not rtft but he was obviously a "wrongun" but trust me there would have been so many risk assessments done to determine the mode and how he travelled so as to avoid a risk to the public...could have been military police.

No idea why you'd assume he was a wrongun... far more likely it was a South African or similar working here, whose colleagues had gone 'yeah, totally, just grab cheao weekend flights to X German city, it's great'.

And they did. without realising they need a Schengen visa to enter EU, so got turned around at the passport desk.

Deeply unlikely to be anything sinister in these circumstances 🤷🏼‍♀️

samarrange · 31/08/2025 22:12

HollyGolightly4 · 31/08/2025 21:19

His passport has probably expired (6 months, or issued more than ten years ago) and easyJet let him fly. They don't care, they don't check properly, they get fined and the passenger has to fly home.

Check your passports folks.

I'm not sure what you mean by "6 months", but here are the passport rules for entering the Schengen area with a visa waiver (e.g., Brits):

On the day of entry, the passport must be less than 10 years old, as determined by the day of issue
On the expected day of exit, the passport must have 3 months of validity left, as determined by the day of expiry

There is no requirement for the passport to have 6 months left on the day of entry. This was widely misreported circa 2021 (including, for several months, on the UK government's own website, ugh) but it is now correctly reported here.

Entry requirements - Germany travel advice

FCDO travel advice for Germany. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/germany/entry-requirements

OneMintWasp · 31/08/2025 22:07

Beachtastic · 31/08/2025 20:32

This needs to be made into a movie starring Maggie Smith!

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Honestly thats a tame one...her life could be a movie. Absolutely loved the woman!

Shimmyshimmycocobop · 31/08/2025 22:05

It will have been an extradition, happened to friends of mine caught with a small amount of cannabis by US border agents getting off a cruise ship. We were young, working on cruise ships and my friend had been given a small amount which she forgotwas in her pocket. She was taken on to a flight back to the UK in hand cuffs which was very embarrassing but then left by the police as she was no threat to anyone.
Thankfully I wasn't with her as I would have been sent back too.

OneMintWasp · 31/08/2025 22:04

Gonners · 31/08/2025 20:50

@OneMintWasp That reminds me ... I worked for the army in Hannover for a couple of years in the mid-70s and one Easter weekend decided to go to Berlin, on the train. I got a terrific bollocking when I got back, on the grounds that the visa in my passport (which was obviously inspected by the East German border guards four times, in and out) showed that I was an employee of the British Forces.

I was duly contrite but thought it best not to mention that I had also been on a tour of East Berlin, so they'd had six looks at it! 😆

Ha ha oops! This was a similar time and I know she spent time in West Berlin and Hanover working for the British forces. She got herself into some scrapes over the years in Cyprus as well. Such a character. Sounds like you all had fun and survived with some tales to tell!

Likaom · 31/08/2025 22:03

German police are normally armed. He didn’t have the right documents (passport/visa) or was previously banned from Germany. I would’t worry, it happens all the time. If he was an actual threat, they would’ve detained him.

OneMintWasp · 31/08/2025 21:58

Trendyname · 31/08/2025 18:21

Do Brits need visa to enter Germany?

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If you're there for over 90 days in 180 as a tourist you do and if you're there to study or work you need the appropriate visa for that too. I've just come back from Germany and armed police stopped us on the trains a couple of times as we crossed the border back in from other countries to inspect passports. They're quite hot on it!

Notashamed13 · 31/08/2025 21:54

Not rtft but he was obviously a "wrongun" but trust me there would have been so many risk assessments done to determine the mode and how he travelled so as to avoid a risk to the public...could have been military police.