Day 66 - British Immigration

Got a flight from Amsterdam to London which was uneventful. However, going through British Immigration has left more than a sour taste in my mouth! Basically I had this 50 year old guy questioning me for 30 minutes and wanted to know everything in detail.

He wanted to know finances, where I been, what I was doing here, what museums I was going to see, what artists I was interested in, what else I would be doing in London. Then he wanted to know where I was staying, who was it with, how did I know the person, did they invite me and it just went on and on and the guy was rather unpleasant about it all. It wasn't just general chit-chat questions but that tone of 'I don't believe you and will keep asking you questions to try to catch you out'.

I was meeting the friend I was staying with in the city and had the details written in my notebook come sketch book come journal. I only plan one city at a time and rely on guide books and a little luck. So I gave showed him the book... more questions - what am I studying, why am I taking a break from studies and blah blah blah.

Next he is flicking through and has sketches and design thumbnails and all. If I am someone dodgy, certainly gone to some trouble. Them he flicks to the back, which is the journal section. I tell him that and he starts reading it. What's more, he starts reading the section on Auschwitz. At the time I was taken back by this. I was hoping that the small writting might put him off but then he starts asking questions about the detail.

Auschwitz was bad enough but to have someone quizzing you on a bad reaction to it all was extremely uncomfortable! Then he was looking through my passport at all the immigration stamps (mainly from Eastern European countries) - more questions. Eventually stamped the passport and threw it back at me with other documents.

He didn't say anything so I asked him - 'So can I go now'. An indifferent 'yeah'. No 'Welcome to England' or 'Thank you for your cooperation/patience sir' or anything.

It wasn't til later chatting with a few people and thinking about it at night, I really started to think that the situation became inappropriate. Going into a journal like that is probably where I draw the line. Fair enough checking people out but reading the journal and handling it in such an unprofessional manner felt like a real civil liberties violation.

At the moment, I'm still really pissed off about the whole situation. If nothing else it is a 'wake up' call but really left a sour taste in my mouth about England. This is a first impression of a country .... hmmm.... no thanks!! Seriously dude, I come from Australia and while travelling is nice, I actually live on a cool island.

In terms of English-Australian relations, you Mr Immigration guy aren't helping. Some of us are aware of the English abandoning Australian troops in war so the 'motherland' comes across as a mean, old, authouratarian woman with a chip on her shoulder!