Border control flags

[12ToPumba]

Hello,

Can you advise what might cause border patrol/ police to check on a person when their passport is being scanned or examined? Is this triggered by convictions, or arrests in general?

Thank you!

they are mainly checked to see they are valid.
plus against border databases that flag a passport as stolen and against high profile international arrest warrants.

all my knowledge is from border force tv programmes

Ive heard of people being stopped if they have a criminal record for crimes against children as their travel is restricted, example going to the US. Also if you didnt show for a court date, outstanding arrest warrant for anything, even something minor.

Thank you both

In what sense do you mean ‘check on’? If you aren’t entering your own country, it’s very normal to be asked some questions of a person. Generally, border control in other countries will not have access to another country’s criminal convictions.

Often it’s to do with something in your passport (certain visas or evidence of travel) can raise questions. Travel to that country in the past for extended periods of time can mean someone is an overstaying risk. Applying for a certain category of visa and being refused then traveling on a tourist visa. Dh once got actually detained, like in a windowless side room, for about 6 hours because he was traveling to see me and border control deemed him high risk for overstaying due to having a girlfriend who was a citizen.

My ex used to always get stopped because he did private security in Afghanistan and Iraq and they would query why he had a lot of stamps from these countries in his passport...

I've been asked why I'm entering a country. I've seen people stopped at passport control exiting the country and police take them away.

They have the same name as somebody on a watchlist.

They're not white.

They have a history of travel to certain countries.

The immigration staff think they "look nervous".

They're picked at random.

But like another poster mentioned, immigration staff of country A don't have access to criminal records of country B. Or was the person you're convinced is a wrong-un returning to their own country when they were stopped?

Thanks. They were stopped when travelling back to their own country of origin and questioned for a while before they could continue on.

Registered sex offender
At risk of forced marriage

American women 18 to 30 arriving as tourists are favourites, in case they are planning to live with an 'English boy' they met on the web. Border force have the right to detain and question them, and examine baggage and social media. A recent resignation from a job, leaving a tenancy, etc, might well mean refusal of entry. The staff can spot them way back in the queue.

I've had mine checked and gone to secondary questioning in the US (well, at the border) many times because I had a passport stolen and then lost one. So there are fairly innocent reasons, too, assuming the loss and theft was genuine.

They're not white

I’ve done this job. You can sod right off. That is a complete load of bollocks. And really fucking offensive.

OP, there are a million and one reasons someone could be questioned further. It could be something really serious, or something really small that just needs to be double checked, like having the right documents to transit the UK. It’s not always a sign that someone has done something wrong.

Thank you!
No flags entering or exiting the UK ever, but lengthy questioning to get into his home country.
He was questioned previously in other countries but that made sense considering he was arriving via the UK. I guess there could be lots of reasons and I'm overthinking :)