"Tourists have long been exploited by locals who seek to punish and extort them as a secondary form of income."
An American university student has been cleared to return home to New York City following a monthslong detention in Dubai, the advocacy group Detained in Dubai reported.
The student arrived at Dubai International Airport in July while in transit between Istanbul and New York. Dubai customs officers instructed her to take off a waist compression device she was wearing after having surgery. The device requires assistance from another person to take on and off, and the student is said to have lightly touched a female customs officer while asking whether a friend could assist her in re-fastening it.
Customs later advised the student that she was being detained for touching the officer, while the officer completed a complaint against her. The student alleges she was made to sign paperwork in Arabic, which she does not speak, before leaving the airport. Upon her return to the airport for her flight to the U.S. several hours later, the she was told she could not leave the country—a travel ban had been imposed on her because of the complaint.
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Several weeks later, a U.A.E. court imposed a cash fine of 10,000 UAE Dirhams (Around $2,700 U.S.D.) but customs officers appealed the ruling.
“They either want her in jail or they want to pressure her into making a compensatory payment to them,” explained Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International.
“Tourists have long been exploited by locals who seek to punish and extort them as a secondary form of income. Compensating complainants only exacerbates the situation. The government of Dubai should stop this type of corruption by banning government employees from being able to accept out of court settlements for criminal complaints. It is too much of an incentive to people in positions of power, resulting in incidents like this which damage the reputation of the UAE as a safe transport and tourism hub”.
Avoiding Detention
While it appears that the student did not engage in any wrongdoing, it’s worth noting that border zones are something of a legal gray area—particularly for non-citizens of the country that zones are drawn around.
In the United States, customs officers have authority to screen arriving passengers to verify identity and citizenship while determining whether to admit them across the border. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can refuse to answer questions not related to their immigration status, and cannot be denied entry to the United States for failure to answer. However, non-citizens can be denied entry for refusing to answer questions.
In other countries, customs officials are similarly charged with screening passengers at national borders, but their authorities may be broader. Non-citizen travelers seeking entry across any national border should bear in mind that their rights in border zones are typically limited—because they have not yet been admitted to the country, application of local laws can be selective. Even in the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection holds the position that passengers are not entitled to legal representation during the screening process—even if travelers are detained for longer periods for extensive questioning.
A good baseline rule illustrated by this case is to never engage in activity—no matter how seemingly innocent—that anyone could consider to be threatening or disrespectful. It can also be helpful to visit the websites for customs and immigration enforcement at any of the countries that a traveler will be entering or transiting during their journey.
Take particular note of what rights are afforded to travelers, whether there is an advocate, ombudsman, or mediator available, and when travelers should–or are permitted to–request a supervising officer if they feel the line of questioning isn’t related to their immigration status.
Customs officers in most countries have broad authority to detain travelers for further inspection if they suspect wrongdoing or the possession of contraband; antagonizing or harassing officers can often lead to lengthy secondary inspections.
Special provisions also apply for travelers who have reason to fear they will be persecuted, or tortured if sent back to the country from which they traveled. Travelers seeking entry to any country under this condition should make their situation known to a customs officer at their earliest convenience.
I would not want to visit any country where this type of situation was a regular occurrence. I often feel that some of these agents allow power to go to their heads.
I read that she was sentenced to a year in prison, but that that sentence was suspended and she would be deported within the next couple of days. It does seem this is a common practice. There is a group called "detained in Dubai." It does seem that this woman was set up to be one of those they could get money from. From what I read she was deal with in a rough way And this could be construed as being provocative.
I read up another instance involving also a woman who happen to be from Texas. I do wonder if they pick on females for this purpose. I really love going to Dubai but I'd have to caution anybody that I know who wants to go there about this practice.
I wouldn't travel to any country who allows this to occur to innocent travelers to exploit them. Won't ever visit Dubai unless this changes. I'll spend my hard earn money elsewhere.