Immigration Question for Europeans.

[Coito ergo sum]

I was wondering if anyone knows the law/practice in European countries for verifying immigration status.

If police stop or detain someone, can they check to see if they are are lawfully in the country?

What's the practice in Britain? France? Germany? Italy? Holland? Scandinavian countries? Spain? Ireland? Any others.

The reason I ask the question is that there appears to be a lot of indignation about the Arizona law which authorizes Arizona State Police to check a person's visa/immigration status with the immigration service, if the person is stopped/detained lawfully for some other offense, and there arises a reasonable suspicion that they may not be lawfully present in the US.

It seems eminently reasonable to me, and I suspect very strongly that greater powers to verify immigrations status exist in most other western countries. I would be shocked if I was in England and arrested for say, assault in a bar fight, and the police didn't ask to see my passport and check to see if I was lawfully in the country. I would be surprised, greatly, if the French police were powerless to verify whether I had a stay or entry permit, if I was detained for snatching a purse from a woman on the Champs Elysee' (sp?). And, I am willing to bet, that if I crash my car on the autobahn in Germany that the the police would check my passport and verify my status.

So, educate me - what can the police do in the European Union and elsewhere in the western world to verify lawful presence?

[Bella Fortuna]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

[Pappa]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

I expect that would be easy in Scotland, say.

[Bella Fortuna]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

I expect that would be easy in Scotland, say.

Good, maybe that means I could leave the attic once in awhile...

[klr]

I was wondering if anyone knows the law/practice in European countries for verifying immigration status.

If police stop or detain someone, can they check to see if they are are lawfully in the country?

What's the practice in Britain? France? Germany? Italy? Holland? Scandinavian countries? Spain? Ireland? Any others.

The reason I ask the question is that there appears to be a lot of indignation about the Arizona law which authorizes Arizona State Police to check a person's visa/immigration status with the immigration service, if the person is stopped/detained lawfully for some other offense, and there arises a reasonable suspicion that they may not be lawfully present in the US.

It seems eminently reasonable to me, and I suspect very strongly that greater powers to verify immigrations status exist in most other western countries. I would be shocked if I was in England and arrested for say, assault in a bar fight, and the police didn't ask to see my passport and check to see if I was lawfully in the country. I would be surprised, greatly, if the French police were powerless to verify whether I had a stay or entry permit, if I was detained for snatching a purse from a woman on the Champs Elysee' (sp?). And, I am willing to bet, that if I crash my car on the autobahn in Germany that the the police would check my passport and verify my status.

So, educate me - what can the police do in the European Union and elsewhere in the western world to verify lawful presence?

"The sound of a can of worms opening ..."

You might find these links useful as starting points:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_document
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_id ... by_country

[Coito ergo sum]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

Naw! I'm sure that if you just enter the country, and then overstay your allowed time, you can just stay as long as you like, get a job, and if you get detained by the police they don't even have the right to check your status.

If they ask you why you're there, just say, "true love is my visa."

[Coito ergo sum]

I was wondering if anyone knows the law/practice in European countries for verifying immigration status.

If police stop or detain someone, can they check to see if they are are lawfully in the country?

What's the practice in Britain? France? Germany? Italy? Holland? Scandinavian countries? Spain? Ireland? Any others.

The reason I ask the question is that there appears to be a lot of indignation about the Arizona law which authorizes Arizona State Police to check a person's visa/immigration status with the immigration service, if the person is stopped/detained lawfully for some other offense, and there arises a reasonable suspicion that they may not be lawfully present in the US.

It seems eminently reasonable to me, and I suspect very strongly that greater powers to verify immigrations status exist in most other western countries. I would be shocked if I was in England and arrested for say, assault in a bar fight, and the police didn't ask to see my passport and check to see if I was lawfully in the country. I would be surprised, greatly, if the French police were powerless to verify whether I had a stay or entry permit, if I was detained for snatching a purse from a woman on the Champs Elysee' (sp?). And, I am willing to bet, that if I crash my car on the autobahn in Germany that the the police would check my passport and verify my status.

So, educate me - what can the police do in the European Union and elsewhere in the western world to verify lawful presence?

"The sound of a can of worms opening ..."

You might find these links useful as starting points:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_document
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_id ... by_country

Nice links.

Let's take a look here....shall we?

France: France has had a national ID card for all citizens since the beginning of World War II in 1940. Some compulsory identity documents were created before for workers from 1803 to 1890, nomads in 1912 and foreigners in 1917 during World War I.

According to Art. 78-2 of the French Penal Procedure Code ID checks are possible[14] :
alineas 1 & 2 : if you are the object of inquiries or investigations, have committed, prepared or attempted to commit an offence, a misdemeanour or a felony or if you are able to give informations about it (contrôle judiciaire)[15] ;
alinea 4 : until 20 km from the french borders and in the ports, airports and railway stations open to international traffic (contrôle aux frontières)[16] ;
alinea 3 : whatever the person's behaviour, to prevent a breach of public order and in particular an offence against the safety of persons or property (contrôle administratif)

Those racist bastards. So...in France, the French police can check a person's immigration status if you are the object of inquiries or investigations ---- or, "whatever the person's behavior" to prevent a breach of public order or an offense against persons or property!

They don't even need "reasonable suspicion" that a person is not lawfully present.

[Feck]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

seems to work

[Rum]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

You would have to hunt your own haggis of course, but its a plan!

[Bella Fortuna]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

You would have to hunt your own haggis of course, but its a plan!

I would spring on it in the wild and it.

[Clinton Huxley]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

Of course - merely don a shell-suit and a pathological dislike of the English and drench yourself with lager. The police would never be able to pick you out of the crowd.

[Feck]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

Of course - merely don a shell-suit and a pathological dislike of the English and drench yourself with lager. The police would never be able to pick you out of the crowd.

so true

[Link]

And would someone be able to hide in, say, Scotland, forever without being found by the authorities?

Of course - merely don a shell-suit and a pathological dislike of the English and drench yourself with lager. The police would never be able to pick you out of the crowd.

so true

+1

[Bella Fortuna]

You're making part of that recommendation quite easy.

[Clinton Huxley]

You're making part of that recommendation quite easy.

Really? I had you down as a real ale fan?