Travelling while black

[Menace II Babylon]

Travel enthusiast Simon Burrowes spent two months locked up in a Thai prison for swearing at immigration officials who had detained him for no valid reason, resulting in him missing his flight. Here he describes how as a black traveller, foreign welcomes have not always been too friendly.

IT DOESN'T take a genius to anticipate that a black man who enjoys travelling to new places and learning about different cultures, may encounter some unwanted experiences on account of his colour.

Of course, there are the bog standard presumptions that you are from Africa, Jamaica or America – depending on where you are. In France or Spain, it's Africa. In South East Asia, it's the US, and in India, you’re greeted with a friendly “Bob Marley, marn”.

We'll also get compared to a black screen personality, almost exclusively from the sports world.

There will be eternal speculations about one's cultural characteristics, from music to food, and racial stereotyping.

Of course, you might get all of this and more in the UK, but it's more worrying when you are alone and hundreds or thousands of miles from home.

I know, because it landed me in one of the world's worst prisons, having been unlawfully arrested, illegally charged, beaten and abandoned by a host of capitulating authorities

Immigration ports have always been a trouble spot for me; I have had several negative experiences. On an inland Canada to America flight, the first baggage checking official called me to him with an index finger. He immediately began discarding the contents of my suitcase.

He questioned and re-questioned me about whether I used or traded in drugs, or knew anyone involved with drugs. When he drew a blank, he asked how much money I was carrying. My girlfriend and I, who were staying at my sister's house, had enough money. But he looked at me with scorn and said, "I don't think you're going anywhere today, pal."

I eventually did travel, but officials told me that pursuing an apology was pointless as airport staff are not answerable to the law.

Going to Thailand earlier this year, I told my travelling companion of my literal fear of airport Immigration, but all went smoothly. It was at the airport to return home that I met an awful fate.

Travelling with a white colleague, our bags were checked in, passports checked and boarding passes issued. We went straight through to Immigration, and my friend presented his passport. When it was my turn, the female official glanced at it and handed it over her shoulder to her colleague in an almost automatic motion.

The male official took it and pointed to a chair, indicating that I should sit on it.

After a hour-and-a-half of the two of them and a supervisor constantly re-checking my passport with an old magnifying glass, the plane was authorised to leave without me.


I repeatedly asked to be told what was going on, or speak to someone who would explain the problem to me. They avoided eye contact and ignored me, turning their backs, giggling and mimicking. I eventually shouted, "I'm not a f**king idiot."

It was not until a week later that I learned about Thai culture and the extreme ramifications of that incident.

The 'Thai visa' ex-pat internet forum states, 'Foreigners should avoid actions or words that may cause a Thai to lose face in public’. Their giggling was apparently an attempt to make me lose face instead of them. After my frustrated outburst, the adjoining check point staff were frozen to the spot, staring at me.

The general consensus is that officials suspect dark-skinned faces that pass through the airport as coming directly from Africa and travelling on a false passport.

The information desk attendant was no help when I asked her for a policeman or superior. As a larger group of Thai officials surrounded me, she mumbled evasively.

Eventually I found the head Immigration officer. He was adamant that I did not look the age stated, and following three hours of ‘checking’ I was arrested for using a false passport.

For seven hours I was refused water, food, and a phone call and taunted in the jail. Later taken to a room, my case officer began:

"Where are you from?”

"London," I replied.

"Don't lie to me. I can send you back home or I can send you to London."

Living in a country where the legal minimum wage is equivalent to four pounds a day, many Thais have never travelled beyond their local suburb. Having counted 15 black people in the eight weeks that I've now been in this country, and the fascination I drew in public (people even ran off to collect their friends to look at me), I can only surmise that this officer had neither spoken to nor ever entertained the possibility of a black Englishman. He simply didn't believe me.

I had a phone conversation with a British embassy representative, Ray Keene, who suggested that I go to prison for a weekend as it was nearly Friday evening and everybody would soon want to wrap things up.

Hours later, I was escorted to the back of a pickup truck, handcuffed to a local, and bound for the court jail. As we sat in the back with my luggage, the driver shouted at me to run. He did this twice, then loaded his gun as a threat.

When we got to the court, still handcuffed, a guard took a strap to the local and beat him about a dozen times and struck me twice.

I spent four days in prison before seeing a British embassy representative, who enthused that I should be released by day six. By day eleven, I was told the authorities had discovered that my passport was genuine so the police were going to probably charge me with insulting an Immigration officer by using the 'f word’ at the airport. I was to remain there up to 84 days, pending a court hearing.

A week later, Martin Carpenter came back to the prison with an apparently prominent and respected representative, Jeff Mitchell.

When I suggested the possibility of someone of reputable office explaining to my persecutors that Western social protocol is different to Eastern protocol: that my reaction was as reasonable under the circumstances as their behaviour was doubtless seen to be, one responded with "Simon, I can empathise with your sense of self-righteousness".

I interpret this as ‘you are not displaying the submissiveness or dependence compatible with our plan of action. We will label you as having an arrogant chest beating psychological complex.’
This way they could justify closing the door on my case because I was creator of my own demise. It also lent credence to the case against me.

Four days later, with bail paid, I was out. In court it transpired that the charges were exaggerated, but I am scheduled to be heard in two months.

My life at home is generally shattered; the case is financially cleaning me out and I am embarrassingly living on handouts. Were I to counter claim for unlawful arrest, good and professional authority has it that I should go into hiding and expect a year-long case.

[peter sutter]

Yes I,The case of Simon is a tuff one and sad.I man see it,when I travel:thre is always a few Black poeple traveling, whom i know for years and they have always problems at the authorty imegration desk ,for no reasons.Even as africans who live in the west and want to go home eg,over xmas,always harast,also in their own country.its a shame.Some of ma bredens book a hotel,so they can rest the last days of their well deserevd holiday(HOME),couse home became also a stress.(But thats another Topic.)Even there, ma bredrens are disturbed at the main Gate of the Hotel,and them tourists are like"What does these Black man do here in,OUR resort,who is this?and that in hes own country?Walking on the beach?local tourist police come and tell them"move away, from the resort area,you must be a Beach boy"and them would say"wa gwan?"the next desaster would be from the cops"oh i see one of the smart ones from abroad?look rasta what we have found,litte herb stock"wich they produce them selves,just to preessure natty a come home.What i want to say is that:Not only when a black man travels to a foreign country he is not welecoment friendly.But even in hes own country.thanks for posting.

[Jah SoulJah]

iman first thought was - unbelievable! then again, maybe in a strange way Simon is lucky, this petty tyrant didn't plant something on him and send him to jail for 20 years only Jah knows.

Australian Aboriginals have a great word for arrogant cops/officials - "the Bullyman"
check out the lyrics below - "Power show" by Fela Anikulapo Kuti
like any Fela song, it's well worth a listen to

I open my eye I see for my land, Na wrong show O
Everywhere you dey Everywhere you go
Everybody want do power show
Na wrong show O

You reach boarder immigration, officer dey immigration
Him go bluff you, Yes (chorus)
Waste your time, Yes (chorus)
Change him pen, Yes (chorus)
Some dey comb dem hair, Yes (chorus)
Den dem tidy dem table, Yes (chorus)
Den dem pull dem chair, Yes (chorus)

Before him go know say you dey there
If you no talk quick, Him go go for shit
Him go shit come-back, And you talk to am
Then you surprise when him shock for you
Him go say you no go cross, You no go cross today
Na that time dem go start Dem Power Show O O

giving thanks and praises always, Jah SoulJah

[Menace II Babylon]

He more than lucky. Such is life. You can dissapear in those systems like a dollar down a manhole. It is there but you cant get it. Should be glad he aint had no dread locks or it would be worse. He is more than lucky


http://worldofjah.ning.com/forum/topics/1042051:Topic:92587

http://worldofjah.ning.com/forum/topics/1042051:Topic:215230

[Empress Ebony]

Greetings all,

My goodness, I can't believe the case above, it puts you off travelling. I must say that my experiences to some countries have been met with some hostile behaviour and examing your passport longer then your european counterparts etc. I hope when the case is all finished he does a counter claim and seek compensation.

[Menace II Babylon]

We are still fighting racism

PERSONALLY, I was very angry when I read Simon Burrowes’ story.

It shows that black people still face indifference and segregation. I've heard stories of how black people face racism in the hands of all these Asian officials in the international airports and European airports.

Simon Burrowes has been racially hurt. Will it take time to heal?

I once experienced racial discrimination where I once worked, I resigned because it was getting too much. The story of Simon Burrowes is like the story of the wicked lion and the innocent spotless lamb.


Nnedi Okonnachi,

via email