Silence with a UK passport
I experienced the UK border for the first time with a British passport and wasn’t asked any questions. I reflect on the silence of my border experience as a citizen versus silence as an immigrant.
No questions at the UK border
I recently returned to the UK after visiting my family in the US. This was my first international trip since getting British citizenship back in February.
Read my post: I applied for British citizenship out of fear
When at the UK border, the line for the e-gates was very long, so I was told I could join a shorter line to speak with a border officer instead.
While I would have avoided this as an immigrant, I took the opportunity to speak with a border officer. I was curious what it would be like now that I had a UK passport.
I learned last year that even with indefinite leave to remain, I was still questioned about how I qualified for settlement, and that greatly unsettled me.
Read my post: The UK border is still terrifying even with indefinite leave to remain
When I got to the border officer, I handed them my passport. They scanned it or did whatever they do with passports. They handed it back to me.
No questions.
Just silence.
I don’t know if this is what always happens, or if this was a privileged experience not all citizens get to experience.
But this is what happened this trip, and it was in stark contrast to previous border experiences.
Questions at the US border
The silence came as a surprise. Even as a US citizen, I always get questioned at the US border about where I’ve come from.
This trip I experienced the added bonus of the US customs officer asking me who I was traveling with. When I said “my partner”, they asked, “Partner in what?”
Bewildered at this question, I replied, “In life.”
Apparently couples were a new concept to this officer.
Silence as an immigrant is fear
The UK border experience also made me reflect on the silence I experienced before getting citizenship.
I wrote about that feeling two years ago.
Read my post: Silence in the UK immigration system
My immigration journey was one of keeping silent. I feared speaking out would potentially endanger my legal status in the UK.
Silence as an immigrant was based in fear.
Silence as a citizen is peace
Fear-based silence contrasts with my most recent UK border experience: silence meant peace.
The peace of being able to come back home and not have to justify my existence here.
I wish my 11 years crossing the UK border as an immigrant felt like that.
I wish it felt like that for everyone who crosses borders.
It’s a sad fact that we don’t live in a world like that. People deserve peaceful silence.
