I remember when I arrived in the UK on March 13th 2013 with my one-way ticket, after finally managing to get away from my abusive (ex) husband *Steve, I was asked to step aside with my then twelve week old son. Doing as I was asked, I pulled out documents they didn’t even request:
My birth certificate.
Max’s birth certificate.
My passport.
Max’s passport.
My medical records from the US.
Max’s medical records from the US.
My UK Driver’s Licence.
My US Driver’s Licence.
My Green Card.
I was then told it was a good thing I had brought all these documents to prove I was his mother! Anyway, what with all the criminals slipping into the UK on a regular (if not, daily) basis, they had a problem with me entering my country of origin with my son.
As I listened to all the foreign languages being spoken in the line to enter England (and might I add, none of them were being stopped and checked), I, as an English speaker, born and bred in London, was then told I could not enter with my son as he was born in the US. The staff member then went to get her manager, who reiterated what she had said to me.
Bearing in mind, I was limping in agony, from where my knee had been dislocated just days earlier, my mouth operated faster than my brain. I laid into them, and I could see they were not expecting the sharpness of my tongue. Part of the conversation went like this:
Manager: We can legally send him back.
Me: I’d like to see that happen, because as a British Citizen myself, you cannot send me back. I dare you to touch my child.
Manager: You can stay. It’s your son. He does not have a return ticket out of this country, nor does he have a residency.
Me: So what you are telling me, is that you want to send my son back on his own?
Manager: What I’m saying is, you have no evidence that he will be returning to the US.
Me: Hold on a minute. Shhhh… Listen… (After a couple of minutes silence). You are wanting to send a twelve week old baby back to the US, but yet all those people can go through, by which none have been stopped and checked? Yet you pull me aside as if I am a criminal, because my baby doesn’t have a return ticket? Are you f**king crazy? Don’t make me have to f**k up your world. I will sue the shit out of you.
Manager and staff member have a conversation with each other, almost at a whisper. The manager then turns to me to continue the conversation:
Manager: OK. We will let you through this time, but…
Me: You will let me through every time. I am British and there is nothing you can do about it. As a British Citizen, do you think it is right that I am pulled aside for this bullshit? You need to think of all the criminals who have just entered because you bothered an innocent person like me, who just got away from an abusive relationship as her husband is a son of a bitch. I have nothing, only my son and you want to send him back? What you need to do is to stop pissing me off and let me go home with my son, to my family and friends.
Manager: (Looking at Max) I’m going to let him through because he’s cute.
Me: Yes, he is cute, but know this, I was going through anyway.
The manager walked away, and the member of staff stamped my son’s passport. It wasn’t until after I walked away that I decided to look at the stamp.
“Leave to enter for six months. No work or recourse to public funds.”
Is that so? OK. We’ll play it like that. No problem at all.
Two months later…
My son became a Dual Citizen. So much for six months, eh?
Now, my son and I travel to and from the UK and US with no problem.
Don’t ever mess with this mother when it comes to her child. 🙂
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