3 Americans refused entry to Ireland.

[monta]

Sure.
I've never made a hotel reservation in my life. I just find one and walk into the lobby. Nor has anyone asked to see my plane ticket.

Maybe authorities are more paranoid now that there are throngs of terrorists just waiting for an opening to rush in and start mowing people down...

I really think it was the one way ticket that upset the applecart more than anything else, the lack of funds and reservations just added grist to the mill.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

When did border authorities start requiring hotel reservations and bank statements? I've never heard of such a thing. All I've ever needed was a passport, and often not even that.

As a Canadian I don't even need a visa to enter the US, but every time I've flown there, I've had to fill out a form with the address where I could be found during my trip. I always bring the mailing address of my hotel so I can do this.

When I drive into the US, I haven't had to fill out a form, but they always ask what city I'm going to and usually what hotel I'll be staying at.

I suppose if they didn't believe me for some reason, they might ask to see my hotel reservation.

 

[Smoke]

It's a pretty common requirement that you show proof of onward passage or something of that nature, but I've never heard of tourists' being required to show a bank statement.

 

[Caladan]

During my backpacking trip across Europe I had a little similar episode in the British immigration. I was honest with them on all questions (too honest ), but they still let me in. I also worked in London to pay for my trip expenses and to rent a place, yeap I worked as an illegal worker, and I didnt do my best to hide that this is what im probably going to do in the immigration questioning, we even joked about it a bit. anyway compared to what some people have to go through when they enter Israel, this was an evening well spent, I watched TV and drank tea with a nice British guy through a great deal of the process.
BTW, although I have an option in theory to be a EU citizen, I am not one.

 

[Nepenthe]

During my backpacking trip across Europe I had a little similar episode in the British immigration. I was honest with them on all questions (too honest ), but they still let me in. I also worked in London to pay for my trip expenses and to rent a place, yeap I worked as an illegal worker, and I didnt do my best to hide that this is what im probably going to do in the immigration questioning, we even joked about it a bit. ....

Heh. After college, my cousin-in-law(?) did the same thing traveling across Europe: he got in with no job prospects, address, etc., and travelled around doing odd jobs. He says Germany was the best place to visit; he's Guatamalen so once the Germans heard he was from the U.S. they assumed he was a Native American. He didn't correct them.

And he got lots of free beer, food, lodging and job offers in Germany as a consequence.

 

[Caladan]

Heh. After college, my cousin-in-law(?) did the same thing traveling across Europe: he got in with no job prospects, address, etc., and travelled around doing odd jobs. He says Germany was the best place to visit; he's Guatamalen so once the Germans heard he was from the U.S. they assumed he was a Native American. He didn't correct them.

And he got lots of free beer, food, lodging and job offers in Germany as a consequence.

LOL. I spent a few weeks in a village in Germany, a guy I met in Amsterdam invited me to his village, where they made their own cheese, bread, beer, etc.
I didnt even visit the big cities, it was like a few weeks of therapy.
I traveled for over half year across Europe with no set addresses other than the ones I got for myself along the way. during my first week in Europe I slept in a squat in Amsterdam. just when I got to London and rented a place, I stopped sleeping for a few months in hostels, squats, and being invited to villages

 

[monta]

Just an update on this situation, looks like a happy ending after all lets hope they don't decide to sue Guinness when one or all of their livers packs in

PLANO Blog | The Dallas Morning News

 

[twinmama]

When I visited USA I had to proof that I had money and I had to fill out papers showing the address where I was going to stay and what was the purpose of my trip. I also had to provide the date of my return and in customs I did have to provide my return ticket. And I'm from Scandinavia, this happened before 9/11.

When I later made another trip to USA and I needed a visa since my stay was going to be over 3 months I had to prove many things...for example that I had never belonged to nazi party....(this also happened before 9/11).

 

[Ciscokid]

I'm curious to know how this looks from an American perspective.
Three young guys were turned back by immigration at Dublin because they couldn't show they had money or somewhere to stay. That seems fair enough to me.
Next a deputy Irish consul in New York apologized - I can't see there was anything to apologize about.
Plano men's thwarted trip to Ireland under investigation | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Breaking News for Dallas-Fort Worth | Dallas Morning News

It won't be any big deal and it probably shouldn't be. Now if it were Mexicans coming into America and they were turned back, that's something very different.

 

[MidnightSun]

Well, it's their fault for not bringing money.