Fake visitor sent back to France

Monday 18 June 2018

An American man who attempted to enter the island by posing as a “visitor” was sent back to France over the weekend.

The US national – details about whom were not provided by Immigration officials – travelled to the island on a Manche Iles ferry from Granville on Saturday.

While he had presented himself as a ‘visitor’, questioning by officials at Albert Pier’s Immigration Control point later revealed that he had been refused entry to the UK by the Border Force twice in the past month.

He had tried to enter on 21 May at Gatwick Airport, and later on 28 May at Coquelles, when he had attempted to travel to Portsmouth via the Euro Tunnel. Both attempts were unsuccessful.

Jersey Customs and Immigration officials subsequently concluded that the man was not “a genuine visitor” and refused him permission to stay on the island.

He was placed in detention until 18:30 that day, when he was sent back to Granville. 

It came during a “busy” weekend the Customs and Immigration. On the same day, a £1.6million drugs stash was seized from a Porsche. A man was charged in connection with that offence this morning.