Welcome To Australia!

[punisher]

Horror experience with Australian Customs service

On June13th I flew to Brisbane with Thai Airways from Bangkok, and the worst experience with customs service I have ever experienced has happened right after I got my arrival stamp from the immigration officer. As a German citizen with a Non Immigrant O visa for Thailand and have been traveling around the world for most of my life, I have never been treated like this as at Brisbane airport.

After I got my passport stamped, a middle aged lady from the Immigration Department approached me and requested to see my passport. She asked right away how long I would stay in Australia and for what purpose. My answer of “I’m visiting a friend for 3 days” did not satisfy her and she asked why so short and why my passport was full of stamps from Malaysia and other Asian countries. I answered ”I don’t have more time and I travel a lot”. She asked again why I stayed so much in Asia and what my job was. I answered her that I didn’t know I was not supposed to travel around Asia, and I was jobless at the moment but received pension from German government. These answers were enough for her to take me to an open room of the Customs service, where one customs officer was waiting. The lady repeated her question why I traveled a lot around Asia and I answered her “I am a German citizen and can travel whenever and wherever I want”. She asked me to open my luggage, I opened it for her. Then one man opened my computer bag and asked me to turn on my notebook. I did not agree and questioned him why he needed to look into my computer. He said ”Well, since you came from Thailand’. I asked ”And what is so special about Thailand?” He asked ”You don’t know whats going on in Thailand?”. I said “No, sorry, I don’t know”. He asked me again to turn on the computer, I refused to do so and told him “I am German and my English is not good enough, please get me an interpreter, and if there are more problems please contact the German Embassy”. After I said that, he ordered 4 more guys to come there and cameras were turned on. They brought me then into an Interrogation room, two men were threatening me that they would detain me if I didn’t want to corporate while they refused providing me a translator and refused to contact the German Embassy. After more threatening from another customs service officer, I agreed to turn on my notebook, and then they checked every single file on my note book, saved conversations, letters, photos, documents, and so on. While they were doing that, another person checked my luggage outside . My notebook contains a lot of photos of friends and family and also of my 4 year old daughter. They asked me if I had a sexual relation with that kid on the photos!! This question made me really upset, and I refused from that point on to say anything. They checked by themselves and after about 2 hours I was free to go. I asked ”Why and for what you did all this?”. They said that because I came from Thailand and they were looking for child porns and drugs for my behaviour was suspicious and for I didn’t anwser why I traveled a lot in Asia.

Anyways this was my first trip to Australia, and I assume it was my last one, I just wanted to warn everybody who goes to Australia to be aware of “special treatment” by the Immigration department or customs service. After the trip I found out that it’s the law to grant me an interpreter and that the customs service has no right to threaten me in any way. It made me also very sad that in the eyes of Australian Customs service officers , Thailand is famous for drugs or child porn. If I was Thai, I would probably go back to Thailand and complain at Ministry for Foreign Affairs and would ask them about the assumptions of Australian customs officers about Thailand. All I can do now is to complain at the German Foreign Ministry. I thought it was overstated, but now I can imagine what they have been doing with the Asylum seekers in the dessert; probably no human rights at all. Fazit is if you have to go to Australia, make sure your passport has no Asian stamps on it and the most important thing is that “don’t come from Thailand”.

[TizMe]

If for every 1,000 genuine tourists that they intregate, they prevent 1 pervert/drug trafficer/human trafficer, then they are doing their job well.

My wife arrived at Brisbane Airport by herself a few months ago. Yes they also interegated her. They wanted to know the exact circumstances that a beautiful Thai lady is arriving in Australia unaccompanied.

I'm sure that you fitted the profile of a person that was a high risk of travelling to Australia for all the wrong reasons.

[Nawtilus]

Well that will teach you for trying to be smart arse with the customs, should have just co operated nicely and you would have been out of there in 30 minutes max.

They have a job to do and good on them for doing it properly.

Blame yourself not them and if you never visit Australia again, then I say not Australias loss.

Were you wearing socks and sandals ??

[geoffphuket]

I have to say that in my opinion they had every right to stop and check you on arrival.... Its just unfortunate that you fitted the profile of suspicious character. If you've nothing to hide then there's no problem.

[Simmo]

This doesn't just happen to foreigners coming into Australia. I'm an Australian citizen and I got a similar barrage of questioning from the immigration spotters that work the luggage carousels at Sydney Airport on a trip back from South American a few years ago.

The guy was interested in how I could afford to travel to Brazil, Colombia, Peru when I'd written down student as my occupation. I told him it was none of his business and that just made things worse with a "supervisor" coming over to continue the barrage. Got out of it after about 15 mins but they sure are arrogant SOB's.

[samran]

This doesn't just happen to foreigners coming into Australia. I'm an Australian citizen and I got a similar barrage of questioning from the immigration spotters that work the luggage carousels at Sydney Airport on a trip back from South American a few years ago.

The guy was interested in how I could afford to travel to Brazil, Colombia, Peru when I'd written down student as my occupation. I told him it was none of his business and that just made things worse with a "supervisor" coming over to continue the barrage. Got out of it after about 15 mins but they sure are arrogant SOB's.

Same Same. General rule, Australian customs are a bunch of $%^%##.

I'm an Australian living in Bangkok. I get stopped fairly regularly, usually for a brief questioning.

It is always the same dumb arse questions:

Australian Customs: Where do you live?

Me: Bangkok.

AC: What do you there?

Me: I am a 'insert white collar proffessional working for a multi-national here'

AC (always suprised - and always the same stupid response): "so you have a proper paying job there then?"

Me: Yes I do.

You can see it in their eyes, the dissapointment that I'm not some drug runner, and sometimes they try it on a little bit more asking if I've been to Samui or a full moon party, to which I answer in the negative.

Just a word of warning, though. As a German, the only place you are allowed in 100% would be Germany (and perhaps other EU countries). You cannot go anywhere else without the immigration officer letting you in, and they can reject you even if you don't need a visa to enter.

As an Australian going to OZ and putting up with them, I have the benefit of them having to let me in.

[bmanly]

Punisher, I am sorry you had such a hard time with Aussie immigration but you are not alone and it happens to us Aussie Citizens too. If someone asked me if I had sex with my 4 year old daughter I would be very pissed off too. The only advantage with me is they can't deport me. They are not the brightest people on earth and that was clearly shown by the way they spoke to you. We are not a bad bunch of people and I apologize for the way they treated you, please don't judge the rest of us by a moronic few. Thailand is a better place anyway, cheers and better luck next time.

[Nignoy]

Well that will teach you for trying to be smart arse with the customs, should have just co operated nicely and you would have been out of there in 30 minutes max.

They have a job to do and good on them for doing it properly.

Blame yourself not them and if you never visit Australia again, then I say not Australias loss.

Were you wearing socks and sandals ??

Dream On Mate You cant even get through Domestic arrivals at Brisbane Airport!! as an australian citizen with dual nationality who uses Brisbane international airport regularly we always calculate a minimum of 2 hours to get through immigration anything less which I may add is seldom we count as a bonus!! on occasion we have even spent 11 hours in immigration and customs along with 2000 other passengers because the xray machines were not working, then a technician came and Plugged them IN!!!A couple of weeks ago a blind passenger being escorted through immigration by airport staff was mislaid for 5 hours his relatives who had driven in from roma a 7 hour drive were told he was not on the flight!! luckily they had left a contact number they were only an hour into their return journey when the passenger was found, call me a whinging pom but they really need to get their act together,stories like this happen all the time Nignoy

[Ollie]

I got stopped at Darwin after a flight from Singapore a few years ago, first time ever, anywhere. It was about 4am in the morning - still took ages to get through immigration and you could sense these guys were looking for someone to stop, probably bored out of their brains.

Luggage turned inside out, clothes I was in searched, loads of questions, long delay, after which they accused me of bringing food illegally into the country - a pack of unopened boiled sweets I had originally bought at Heathrow but never opened!!! I never did find out why they stopped me?

Pathetic.

On saying that, I've arrived at Brisbane a few times, never experienced any delays or problems there at all.

[Mossfinn]

Please tell me you are having a Giraffe

Moss

I guess I am still having trouble with this 'quote thing'.

As an aside it was meant to be in relation to Nignoy and the plug!!!!!

Edited August 8, 2006 by Mossfinn

[TizMe]

after which they accused me of bringing food illegally into the country - a pack of unopened boiled sweets I had originally bought at Heathrow but never opened!!! I never did find out why they stopped me?

Pathetic.

You just admitted that you broke the law. It is illegal to bring "ANY" food into Oz.

Its morons with attitudes like yours that the Australian Customs is trying to protect us from.

[udon]

punisher,

don't judge Aus by a couple of ignorant Public Servants.

Mentioning your daughter in the manner you described was way out of order.

As you have read above, we Aussies are not immune to them..

Visit SW Sydney and you won't think that you are in Australia.

[Ollie]

after which they accused me of bringing food illegally into the country - a pack of unopened boiled sweets I had originally bought at Heathrow but never opened!!! I never did find out why they stopped me?

Pathetic.

You just admitted that you broke the law. It is illegal to bring "ANY" food into Oz.

Its morons with attitudes like yours that the Australian Customs is trying to protect us from.

Do you realise how funny your post is?

Headline: "Man runs amok with boiled sweets!" "British man imprisoned for bringing deadly food - boiled sweets - into Oz that could wipe out all known native wildlife!!"

So thats what I was searched for is it, my illicit consignment of conrtaband goods, jeez, they must have been acting on a tip off from UK customs!

Funny how despite your views, I am normally welcomed on my many visits there and oh, for the record, after my heavy handed and rude treatment that one time at Darwin, they let me in and, wait for it, the boiled sweets as welll! Although they declined my offer to share them, they're loss really, as they tasted very sweet after that.

The female of the group did have the last laugh though, she told me I would have to pay a fine. I was bursting by this stage, having been given the empth degree, or what felt like it. I was, "you're kidding", no, said she, you pay through that door there, off I trooped, went through the door she had pointed to and where was I? Through customs and in the main terminal. Last laugh on her!

You're not from Yorkshire are you? Your rant did sound a bit Monty Pythonish.

[Mighty Mouse]

The boiled lollies are not the problem. The problem is that boiled lollies are for eating, anything that is for eating is classified as "food". All food must be declared at Customs. You obviously didn't declare food. There is no point in whinging about it.

Customs officers detect smugglers, criminals, terrorists, the illegal importation of goods, drugs, foods etc., as part of their job in protecting Australia.

They rely on their personal observations of passengers, or those of other Customs agents/sniffer dogs within the terminal, as well as intelligence reports from domestic and/or international sources. They also rely on X-rays of luggage.

If they become suspicious for any reason, they would be neglecting their duty if they didn't thoroughly investigate their suspicions.

As an Aussie, I am happy that Customs agents in Brisbane are doing their job well. I hope the same level of competence is applied in our other capital cities.

[punisher]

Well that will teach you for trying to be smart arse with the customs, should have just co operated nicely and you would have been out of there in 30 minutes max.

They have a job to do and good on them for doing it properly.

Blame yourself not them and if you never visit Australia again, then I say not Australias loss.

Were you wearing socks and sandals ??

Well,i dont wear sandals,what means cooperated?I know they have to do a job,i fully agree,its just they way how they do their job!!!

[bazmlb]

I got pulled up by immigration last time i flew home to Melbourne in Jan this year, got same stupid line of questions, but just responded and smiled when i replied and was on my way.

questions like what were you doing in Thailand? why do you go there so much?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Well that will teach you for trying to be smart arse with the customs, should have just co operated nicely and you would have been out of there in 30 minutes max.

They have a job to do and good on them for doing it properly.

Blame yourself not them and if you never visit Australia again, then I say not Australias loss.

Were you wearing socks and sandals ??

Well,i dont wear sandals,what means cooperated?I know they have to do a job,i fully agree,its just they way how they do their job!!!

Never argue with officials that can lock you up

[mijan24]

Well that will teach you for trying to be smart arse with the customs, should have just co operated nicely and you would have been out of there in 30 minutes max.

They have a job to do and good on them for doing it properly.

Blame yourself not them and if you never visit Australia again, then I say not Australias loss.

Were you wearing socks and sandals ??

Well,i dont wear sandals,what means cooperated?I know they have to do a job,i fully agree,its just they way how they do their job!!!

Never argue with officials that can lock you up

True Dr but we should expect the first entry point to be efficient but also courteous.

Punisher - I am from Oz and feel you have been dealt with incorrectly - there is no need for all the knockers to hop on the bandwagon - they are from the same brigade that will whinge like hel_l when they are treated like this or worse in Thailand.

Drop an info copy of your complaint to customs in Canberra and ask why as a visitor you were treated like that? if no response (typical public servant approach is to ignore) then follow up with a copy to the immigration minister.

[Crushdepth]

This doesn't just happen to foreigners coming into Australia. I'm an Australian citizen and I got a similar barrage of questioning from the immigration spotters that work the luggage carousels at Sydney Airport on a trip back from South American a few years ago.

This is absolutely true. I get grabbed for questioning all the time because (frankly) customs from any country make me nervous, and I guess I always look a bit 'guilty'. The officers are for the most part very alert and they are very, very good at spotting 'unusual' behaviour. I agree that I don't always like their attitude but if you are cooperative they won't make your life difficult. Can't say that about a lot of other countries.

As for why they picked on the OP, well who knows. But both customs and quarantine maintain statistical records of which demographic groups are likely to break the law and perhaps you fit a profile they are concerned about at present. These are not always obvious - for example around 70% of old ladies from one European country I won't name carry contraband with them of one form or another - plant clippings, food etc, so they do tend to get looked at a bit harder.

Do you realise how funny your post is?

Headline: "Man runs amok with boiled sweets!" "British man imprisoned for bringing deadly food - boiled sweets - into Oz that could wipe out all known native wildlife!!"

Australia has very tough quarantine laws, which say very clearly NO FOOD. You would have seen it on the in flight video, in-cabin announcements, the declaration forms and the signs on the way in. The officers can't know the composition of every lolly or whatever people drag into the country and they don't have time to investigate whether they are in fact what they packet says or if (say) some obnoxious ant pest has set up home inside, or has actually been intentionally incorporated into the sweet. I am guessing that you didn't have a packet of "cricket lickets" with you, but bizarre as it may seem, such things are quite common. The quarantine museum in Sydney is a real eye opener.

The cost of trying to contain one insect pest can easily run into tens of millions of dollars, and the outbreak of a significant agricultural disease can shut down international trade for a whole industry overnight. So: No food, boiled lollies go in the bin along with everything else and the penalty is a fine, not imprisonment (unless you do something particulary stupid).

Never argue with officials that can lock you up

At the end of the day, this is sage advice. Being uncooperative will almost certainly result in further investigation. Another thing that really annoys them is the 'I can't speak English' story. Like they've never heard *that* one before.

Edited August 9, 2006 by Crushdepth

[Jockstar]

Before i was an Ozzie resident. I was flying from London to Perth via Singapore(i think). As we were delayed i had the option to stay the night in Singers or ply to Adelaide and then onto Perth. I chjose to do that. When i got to Adelaide after my long flight etc. This custom dude said." Can i search your baggage?" Pissed off and tired i agreed. I had nothing to worry about. I was actually on my way to NZ to live via Perth and then Sydney before getting to Aucklnad. So had heaps of stuff with me. My hand luggage was packed as was my backpack. So he pulled ou all my stuff in my hand luggage. Was just about to do all my backpack when i asked if this was really needed. He said no problem that he would swab the bag for anything illegal. I was totally friendly and never let it get me down. So basically i saved myself alot of hassle just by saying no problem go nuts. If i had been a dick then i would have had to spend more time there as he unpacked all my stuff.

[Khutan]

I must say with my experience that Australia treats itself as something a bit more special than other countries.

I never really had too much trouble coming and going through immigration, as I was a frequnt business traveller. As I was gong through Immigration at Sydney, you tend to see the same immigration officers, so being pleasant to them does pay dividends - if you see them regularly.

It does not stop the morons near the baggage pick up asking those silly questions. Easiest thing is to answer them honestly and to the point. Like "Why do you go to Bangkok every two weeks" - "Because I have an important customer there and I need to go to meetings" Then they can ask who the customer is and who you work for. A business card is very useful then, partcularly if you work for a well known company.

[gburns57au]

Not all food is banned from being brought into Oz....certain types of food and food from certain regions are banned, but as a few have said...ALL food must be declared so it can be checked, this includes lollies/sweets etc.

The reason we have such tough customs laws is to protect the country and the enviroment from pests and disease that as an isolated Island nation we have managed to avoid, such things as rabies for instance.

To the OP this can happen to anyone who fits certain demographics...it happened to someone I know who does a lot of overseas travelling, He went through exactly the same as you, laptop opened and searched, all PC CD's checked, wallet and bags, pat searched etc...etc... Even had a visit from the feds a few days later....They do seem to have stepped up on this now....So dont feel victimized by it....They do have a job to do and can be a bit heavy handed....but in the end if you have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to fear and co-operation is the best way to get through it.

They are required by law to provide a translator...it could take hours to get one there though...so you are better off to just comply with their request and get through it quicker. They dont have to contact your embassy...that is upto you and then you should only do that if you are charged with anything.

[punisher]

Well that will teach you for trying to be smart arse with the customs, should have just co operated nicely and you would have been out of there in 30 minutes max.

They have a job to do and good on them for doing it properly.

Blame yourself not them and if you never visit Australia again, then I say not Australias loss.

Were you wearing socks and sandals ??

Well,i dont wear sandals,what means cooperated?I know they have to do a job,i fully agree,its just they way how they do their job!!!

Never argue with officials that can lock you up

True Dr but we should expect the first entry point to be efficient but also courteous.

Punisher - I am from Oz and feel you have been dealt with incorrectly - there is no need for all the knockers to hop on the bandwagon - they are from the same brigade that will whinge like hel_l when they are treated like this or worse in Thailand.

Drop an info copy of your complaint to customs in Canberra and ask why as a visitor you were treated like that? if no response (typical public servant approach is to ignore) then follow up with a copy to the immigration minister.

Hi thank u for ur thoughts, i was wondering already where to complain at,i did so at the German Embassy,but they really didnt care and wrote an email here to the ministry of foreign affairs,but no reply,maybe if u could give me the email ad of the customs in Canberra would be very helpful,i know it wont help anything,but just sitting and doing nothing is not my style,ok thanks in advance!!!

[bazmlb]

Well that will teach you for trying to be smart arse with the customs, should have just co operated nicely and you would have been out of there in 30 minutes max.

They have a job to do and good on them for doing it properly.

Blame yourself not them and if you never visit Australia again, then I say not Australias loss.

Were you wearing socks and sandals ??

Well,i dont wear sandals,what means cooperated?I know they have to do a job,i fully agree,its just they way how they do their job!!!

Never argue with officials that can lock you up

True Dr but we should expect the first entry point to be efficient but also courteous.

Punisher - I am from Oz and feel you have been dealt with incorrectly - there is no need for all the knockers to hop on the bandwagon - they are from the same brigade that will whinge like hel_l when they are treated like this or worse in Thailand.

Drop an info copy of your complaint to customs in Canberra and ask why as a visitor you were treated like that? if no response (typical public servant approach is to ignore) then follow up with a copy to the immigration minister.

Hi thank u for ur thoughts, i was wondering already where to complain at,i did so at the German Embassy,but they really didnt care and wrote an email here to the ministry of foreign affairs,but no reply,maybe if u could give me the email ad of the customs in Canberra would be very helpful,i know it wont help anything,but just sitting and doing nothing is not my style,ok thanks in advance!!!

Try emailing Amanda Vanstone

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS

[udon]

Amanda Vanstone

Can't miss her if you're ever in Canberra.

[CbrLad]

Reading the first post you really have to wonder. There are enough holes and over emotion in the to make it very hard to belive as written. I have no doubt that the person was stopped for questioning but there are ALWAYS two sides to the story.

Firstly for the record your entry stamp is done by a customs officer. Why I don't know, but customs does that on behalf of Immigration (DIMA). The people who do this are trained to look for high risk people, and clearly you fitted a catagory that would have meet high risk. There are also people walking the halls and watching on video as well as intellegence reports to identify high risk people too.

An Immigration offical has every right to ask why you travel where you do, why you are in Australia for such a relative short period of time and your financial details. From what you are saying you should have NO ISSUE with DIMA, it seems as if they did the right thing and in the proper manner.

The fact that you were then passed onto a CUSTOMS official (or as you say, are you sure it was customs in a blue shirt), says to me they were susupecting you of brining something into the country you shouldn't be doing. I don't belive they refused you a translator, unless of course they suspected that your english was good enough to conduct the interview and you were playing them. These people have access to interpreters at the press of a phone button and it would have been in there intrest to do so.

You say your bag was searched but when did you get it from the collection belt? You said they took you straight after getting your passport stamped, which is before the bagage collection area. Did they take you to get it before you went to the so called interogation room. I am pleased they took a video as that will be availble to see what really went on if you were to take your issue any futher. But yes this is Australia where we lock illegals up in the desert (actually we now keep them offshore to be processed if they haven't already set foot in Australia) so the courpt officers will have destroyed all evidence. One more thing how long did it take them to go through every file on your computer and why did you refuse to allow them to check it in the first place? It is a condition of entry into Australia and you refused. No wonder they had suspicons. It takes about 1 hour to do a virus scan on mine, so to go through the whole computer manually would take an awful long time.

If as you said is true your issue is with Customs. It has nothing to do with the Foreign Affairs or DIMA, just customs.

As I said above I don't doubt for one minute you were questioned and searched, but I really do have my doubts about the harshness of it (you don't sound like you co-operated properly). These people are doing their job, which is quite simply to keep the undersirable people out and to protect Australia.

As to other comments about heavy handness it is sad but a fact of life. For those in Australia watch a program 7:30 on Tuesday to see what these people have to put up with. I laughed at the person complaining about the boiled lollies, as they are food and the question is clear. The reason I laughed was a recent eppisode had an Asian lady bringing in all this food stuff that she didn't declare, and she beleived (quite honestly BTW) that what she was brining in wasn't food. I cannot recall exactly what it was but it was quite ok for her to bring it in. Her words were no, that no food, that no food!!!. The bottom line is YOU MUST DECLARE everything, if in doubt declare it anyway, so anyone who doesn't and gets a grilling tuff luck. Half the heavy handness by quarantine people (these are the 3rd group in our arrivals area) is to put the fear of god into people who make innocent mistakes so they don't do it again.

These days all bags are put through an x-ray machine that is designed to differentiate between various organic, plant and man made substances, or they are manually searched.

[CbrLad]

Amanda Vanstone

Can't miss her if you're ever in Canberra.

Much better chance of finding her in Adelaide!!!!

[jingjoe]

Amanda Vanstone

Can't miss her if you're ever in Canberra.

I don't think this is really the time or place to be making fun of a fat fifty year old farang kratoey (or is that Robin Williams?)

Anyway... Aussie customs officials have a standard rule (as do the local police) of "attitude therapy". If you want to argue the toss, then you'll most certainly cop the "go slow" in all its glory.

Coming here is a privilege, not a right...

Having said that I've spent over an hour with the good folk from Cairns Customs for declaring an ornamental knife. They're not the brightest crayons in the box, but even I can appreciate their dedication to their sworn duty.

[Mighty Mouse]

Coming here is a privilege, not a right...

That's the best line in this thread.

[Ollie]

Coming here is a privilege, not a right...

That's the best line in this thread.

So is leaving!