Heading to Glasto but not sure if I can enter the UK? Any help appreciated

[shapebuster]

Hi guys,

tdlr: I am Irish & Australian, I have a 5 year old Australian criminal record for drugs. Does anyone know an immigration lawyer and could ask if I will have any issues entering the UK from Australia on my Irish passport? Thanks so much.

I am planning on going to Glastonbury Music Festival in June this year from Australia. I am an Irish and Australian citizen and I am planning on flying from Australia to the UK to attend for the few days that it is happening. Been waiting almost 3 years for this as it's been cancelled twice. Unfortunately I have a prior criminal record for attempt to possess mdma with intent to supply from 2017 in Australia. My punishment was 18month sentence suspended for 12 months. Never went to prison, I just had to check in with a corrections officer every month until the 12 months were up. It was a huge mistake from when I was 19 and have since turned my life around. I have zero interest in drugs anymore and I am worried that it may impact my entry to the UK.

I am also an Irish citizen and I know that Irish citizens have more rights to enter over Australian citizens. I also read that you must complete forms if you are coming from Australia (passenger locator form) but you don't need to do this if you have been in Ireland for the 10 days prior. Am I better off flying into Ireland and waiting 10 days before going to the UK or will I be fine to travel straight from Australia? The worst thing that can happen is that I get denied entry and have this with me for life as many countries ask "Have you ever been denied entry to another country" while it will be only another 5 years before I can expunge my conviction.

Thanks in advance!

[Lycra]

5 hours ago, shapebuster said:

Hi guys,

tdlr: I am Irish & Australian, I have a 5 year old Australian criminal record for drugs. Does anyone know an immigration lawyer and could ask if I will have any issues entering the UK from Australia on my Irish passport? Thanks so much.

I am planning on going to Glastonbury Music Festival in June this year from Australia. I am an Irish and Australian citizen and I am planning on flying from Australia to the UK to attend for the few days that it is happening. Been waiting almost 3 years for this as it's been cancelled twice. Unfortunately I have a prior criminal record for attempt to possess mdma with intent to supply from 2017 in Australia. My punishment was 18month sentence suspended for 12 months. Never went to prison, I just had to check in with a corrections officer every month until the 12 months were up. It was a huge mistake from when I was 19 and have since turned my life around. I have zero interest in drugs anymore and I am worried that it may impact my entry to the UK.

I am also an Irish citizen and I know that Irish citizens have more rights to enter over Australian citizens. I also read that you must complete forms if you are coming from Australia (passenger locator form) but you don't need to do this if you have been in Ireland for the 10 days prior. Am I better off flying into Ireland and waiting 10 days before going to the UK or will I be fine to travel straight from Australia? The worst thing that can happen is that I get denied entry and have this with me for life as many countries ask "Have you ever been denied entry to another country" while it will be only another 5 years before I can expunge my conviction.

Thanks in advance!

You really do need specialist advice as relying on your Irish passport may not be of help either.

Since Brexit occurred the UK is no longer part of the EU and this impacts travel between Ireland and the UK. A quick search when Brexit happened revealed an intent to check all travellers from an EU country, including Ireland, for criminal record but no info if this is being done. Then there are the questions of what offences and sentences qualify for being denied entry and if those offences have been notified to UK authorities. A tricky one which needs resolution before travel. You have my sympathy.

Do you take a risk and just present yourself at UK immigration? Or do you flag yourself up to UK immigration before travel and plead mercy!

[incident]

 I can't comment on most of the above - but would mention that as things currently stand the last of the COVID related travel rules and specifically the Passenger Locator Form should be scrapped in a month or so, and certainly by the time the Festival comes around so aren't likely to be a factor.

[shapebuster]

47 minutes ago, Lycra said:

You really do need specialist advice as relying on your Irish passport may not be of help either.

Since Brexit occurred the UK is no longer part of the EU and this impacts travel between Ireland and the UK. A quick search when Brexit happened revealed an intent to check all travellers from an EU country, including Ireland, for criminal record but no info if this is being done. Then there are the questions of what offences and sentences qualify for being denied entry and if those offences have been notified to UK authorities. A tricky one which needs resolution before travel. You have my sympathy.

Do you take a risk and just present yourself at UK immigration? Or do you flag yourself up to UK immigration before travel and plead mercy!

Thanks mate but you're forgetting about the Common Travel Area that predates the EU

[Lycra]

1 hour ago, shapebuster said:

Thanks mate but you're forgetting about the Common Travel Area that predates the EU

Yes you are correct. The Common Travel area with Ireland is preserved under Brexit. That said you still need to check as the UK is permitted to refuse those who have been convicted of certain criminal activity. It all depends what it is and whether it has been notified to UK authorities. Whatever you do don't mention Glastonbury and drugs to anyone in authority when you arrive 😉

Edited March 3, 2022 by Lycra

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

I very much doubt the UK have routine access to Australian criminal records information. For example I know from experience the US don’t have access to ours, despite what they might say, likewise neither do Australia ours.

Do you need a visa to enter the UK like you do the other way round? If you don’t then I wouldn’t even worry about it, if you do then again, they won’t have access to the information unless you tell them about it.

[Smeble]

I reckon going via Ireland is your most hassle free route, no idea if the common free area treaty has criminal conviction caveats, but how would the UK know about your convictions?

[shapebuster]

7 hours ago, Deaf Nobby Burton said:

I very much doubt the UK have routine access to Australian criminal records information. For example I know from experience the US don’t have access to ours, despite what they might say, likewise neither do Australia ours.

Do you need a visa to enter the UK like you do the other way round? If you don’t then I wouldn’t even worry about it, if you do then again, they won’t have access to the information unless you tell them about it.

Actually I don't think this is true. If you google Brits coming to Aus and not declaring past convictions, you'll see plenty of instances of people being sent home. Same with the US

[Lycra]

14 hours ago, shapebuster said:

Actually I don't think this is true. If you google Brits coming to Aus and not declaring past convictions, you'll see plenty of instances of people being sent home. Same with the US

Your probably right. It's so easy for Border Control & Police agencies to swap date these days. It's called "intelligence led" and it crops up all the time in reality traffic police or border force/ airport programs.

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

46 minutes ago, Lycra said:

Your probably right. It's so easy for Border Control & Police agencies to swap date these days. It's called "intelligence led" and it crops up all the time in reality traffic police or border force/ airport programs.

TV shows are not a useful guide, the last thing they’re going to portray is the lack of ability to do such things, a big part of the reason that they agree to filming is to act as a deterrent.

[dotdash79]

19 hours ago, Smeble said:

I reckon going via Ireland is your most hassle free route, no idea if the common free area treaty has criminal conviction caveats, but how would the UK know about your convictions?

This would be the best way. Fly to Ireland then to the U.K.  

last couple of times I’ve flown back from Ireland(not the north)I’ve not gone through passport control and was dropped off at the luggage reclaim hall. 

[incident]

4 hours ago, dotdash79 said:

This would be the best way. Fly to Ireland then to the U.K.  

last couple of times I’ve flown back from Ireland(not the north)I’ve not gone through passport control and was dropped off at the luggage reclaim hall. 

Varies by airport, I think, depending on how the terminal is set up to handle incoming ROI flights. I've flown from Ireland to England easily at least 50 times over the past 25 years or so, landing at more than half a dozen different English airports, and found that how they treated ROI flights varied.

It certainly works the way you describe at EMA. Can't remember the specifics of any others at this point - I know I've been asked to show my passport but can't remember where or when. I also don't know to what degree the flight manifests are screened and cross referenced which could still be a consideration.

[dotdash79]

I flew back into Manchester. Last time was in Feb

 

Think last time I went to Leeds I was checked at passport control.