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Yankee
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+x+xSOPO are an interesting one. Are your offenses otherwise spent? People with SOPOs end up with Visor records, which automatically triggers an alert on the Home Office Watch List/Index. This should cause issues only on return, but does suggest some info sharing if there are issues entering other countries. Unless SOPOs also mean you stay on the SoR, which whould trigger a Schengen Information System Article 36(a) alert to all EU Member States. For as long as you have a SOPO, you are on the SOR, even if the prescribed time for the SOR has elapsed. And for as long as you have a SOPO, your conviction is unspent, even if it would normally be spent under the ROA. Basically a SOPO supersedes (i) the time after which the ROA declares the conviction to be spent, and (ii) the time you're told you have to be on the SOR. It sucks. Based on the length of my sentence, my conviction should have been spent after 4 years, but instead it is actually unspent for 10 years due, yes, to the length of my sentence, which also requires the SOR period to be 10 years. The higher number always wins :-( Any official statement/insinuation that the UK doesn't share SOR information with other countries, or that it should only flag upon return but not upon arrival abroad, it pure lies, as can be seen from the many stories on these boards. The whole system is riddled with inconsistencies. If you read the College of Policing guidelines (see below), I would argue that for low risk offenders (like ourselves) there is no 'clear indication ' and reason to believe 'will commit'. Unfortunately, the guidelines go on to say that everyone on SOR/ViSOR should be the subject of a SISII alert every time they travel to the EU. Article 36(2) Alerts for criminal offencesOfficers should use an Article 36 alert when: - there is clear indication that a person intends to commit or is committing a serious criminal offence
or - they assess a person, in particular regarding their past criminal offences, and believe that the person will commit serious criminal offences in the future.
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hurrdedurr
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Group: Forum Members
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Hi, yes it should be removed August 2019. So I’m guessing after that the ‘alerts’ will no longer happen when travelling abroad? Considering travelling to Belgium after August 2019 as it seems quite a few people have been treated like junk by Belgian border force.
He was never turned away at the border but was quizzed a bit. Was quite distressing afterwards.
Travelled to Greece and Amsterdam last year and no one cared, just got stopped on return to the UK, asked usual questions, man was very pleasant at UKBA.
Just wish there was more clarity-Brexit seems to be such a huge mess. Thank goodness we have a ROA and his conviction will be spent next year. I’m friends with people in the US whose partners are subject to SORs and their lives are just awful. UK is relatively modern comparatively.
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hurrdedurr
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+x+x+xWe were stopped upon entry to Poland a couple of years ago, yet every other EU country (Greece, Germany, Holland) have just waved him straight through. Were you stopped from entering the country and sent back on the next flight? Or were you just stopped and asked some questions and then waved through? I am under a SOPO for another couple of years. I recently travelled to Belgium and endured by far the most severe questioning I've ever had. I've always known my passport has been flagged as they have occasionally taken a longer look or asked a couple of basic questions about length of visit, where I'm staying, etc. But this time, they wanted the full details of my conviction. I told the truth (online viewing offence) and they still let me through, but it ruined the trip, and my other half and I were quite tearful and traumatised and worried it might be difficult in future. My conviction is more than 7 years old and there have been no issues whatsoever since then. I have travelled abroad a couple of times a year, have a good relationship with my PPU and have never had any problems. So it really baffled me why it has suddenly led to this intense questioning. I had a similar experience on passing through Belgian controls on my way back to the UK on the Eurostar. We were marched into a room where our passports were photocopied and we were quizzed on where we had been in Europe. I wasn't asked any details of my conviction though. I would guess it's Belgium's interpretation of the new entry/exit checks to the Schengen zone. Going TO the EU via St Pancras I didn't even get so much as a second glance from the French officers when my passport was scanned. We were starting to think we could possibly travel with friends but the incident completely killed that idea dead and made me question travelling at all while subject to notification requirements. I wonder if the issues with Belgium have come due to the volume of terror related attacks. My understanding is that when SIS information is shared, the details of the actual conviction are not displayed on the screen. Therefore I think they have to find out if you are a terrorist or some sort of violent criminal. We were planning to go to Belgium but may well wait until the end of next year now once his notification period is up and before transition period ends.
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BenS
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+x
My understanding is that when SIS information is shared, the details of the actual conviction are not displayed on the screen. Therefore I think they have to find out if you are a terrorist or some sort of violent criminal.
I think you're right about this. The question they asked me at passport control was ""Have you had any problems in your country?" Well no, not for 8 years, according to my PPU I am low priority, I have never had a single issue since my conviction, I've travelled abroad once or twice a year without problems the other end, I have a stable job, etc. So I haven't "got any problems in my country". But I knew what they meant and I stated I had a conviction from quite some years ago. They asked what for, I told them (online viewing images offence). i also told them the UK police are fully aware that I was travelling and they (Belgians) could feel free to contact them (UK) if they wanted. They then let me through without further questions. So it seems they genuinely don't know the actual details, other than that your passport has some kind of marker on it. While you're probably right about Belgium's reason for being ultra-vigilant, France has also suffered several terrible attacks but they seem quite relaxed. I went by car ferry last year and they didn't even take the passport out of my hand from the car, just glanced at it while I was holding it. And when I flew there a couple of years ago they just did a visual check and did not put it through a scanner.
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tedstriker
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My Belgian experience was similar although I wasn’t asked for details. The guy told me “you are flagged on our system, we don’t know why but we have to carry out some things”. I pointed out that I know I’m flagged and it’s nothing new, being taken into a back room was. He just photocopied our passports and asked vague questions about where I’d been.
The experience wasn’t horrendous. I just wouldn’t want to experience it with others who know nothing of my conviction. Same goes for leaving France & Germany where the border agent picked up the phone and read out my full name to someone in front of the queue.
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AB2014
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Group: Forum Members
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+x+xSOPO are an interesting one. Are your offenses otherwise spent? People with SOPOs end up with Visor records, which automatically triggers an alert on the Home Office Watch List/Index. This should cause issues only on return, but does suggest some info sharing if there are issues entering other countries. Unless SOPOs also mean you stay on the SoR, which whould trigger a Schengen Information System Article 36(a) alert to all EU Member States. For as long as you have a SOPO, you are on the SOR, even if the prescribed time for the SOR has elapsed. And for as long as you have a SOPO, your conviction is unspent, even if it would normally be spent under the ROA. Basically a SOPO supersedes (i) the time after which the ROA declares the conviction to be spent, and (ii) the time you're told you have to be on the SOR. It sucks. Based on the length of my sentence, my conviction should have been spent after 4 years, but instead it is actually unspent for 10 years due, yes, to the length of my sentence, which also requires the SOR period to be 10 years. The higher number always wins :-( Any official statement/insinuation that the UK doesn't share SOR information with other countries, or that it should only flag upon return but not upon arrival abroad, is pure lies, as can be seen from the many stories on these boards. When you notify your passport number to the police, they then put that number onto the Schengen system, with a note that you are on the SOR. That is part of their standard procedures. The relevant question is do they remove that information once you come off the SOR? In fact, are they able to remove the information?
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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)
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BenS
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Group: Forum Members
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+xWhen you notify your passport number to the police, they then put that number onto the Schengen system, with a note that you are on the SOR. That is part of their standard procedures. The relevant question is do they remove that information once you come off the SOR? In fact, are they able to remove the information? This is interesting seeing as the vast majority of EU countries do not have an SOR. If, when I come off the SOR, I am still subjected to detailed checks due to my passport obviously raising a flag when arriving at foreign passport control, I will probably get a new passport, even if there are several years before the current one expires. Maybe I'll also travel with a basic DBS check on myself to show no criminal record.
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AB2014
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Group: Forum Members
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+x+xWhen you notify your passport number to the police, they then put that number onto the Schengen system, with a note that you are on the SOR. That is part of their standard procedures. The relevant question is do they remove that information once you come off the SOR? In fact, are they able to remove the information? This is interesting seeing as the vast majority of EU countries do not have an SOR. If, when I come off the SOR; I am still subjected detailed checks due to my passport obviously raising a flag when arriving at foreign passport control, I will probably get a new passport, even if there are several years before the current one expires. Maybe I'll also travel with a basic DBS check on myself to show no criminal record. Good thinking, as a new passport should have a different number. A basic check might be helpful, or if they are as suspicious as our law enforcement, they might wonder why you would take that document with you. 
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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)
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Yankee
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 232,
Visits: 994
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+x+xWhen you notify your passport number to the police, they then put that number onto the Schengen system, with a note that you are on the SOR. That is part of their standard procedures. The relevant question is do they remove that information once you come off the SOR? In fact, are they able to remove the information? This is interesting seeing as the vast majority of EU countries do not have an SOR. If, when I come off the SOR, I am still subjected to detailed checks due to my passport obviously raising a flag when arriving at foreign passport control, I will probably get a new passport, even if there are several years before the current one expires. Maybe I'll also travel with a basic DBS check on myself to show no criminal record. There are other threads on the forum where people have confirmed that once they are off the SOR, their passport no longer flags up.
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Yankee
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 232,
Visits: 994
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+x+x+xSOPO are an interesting one. Are your offenses otherwise spent? People with SOPOs end up with Visor records, which automatically triggers an alert on the Home Office Watch List/Index. This should cause issues only on return, but does suggest some info sharing if there are issues entering other countries. Unless SOPOs also mean you stay on the SoR, which whould trigger a Schengen Information System Article 36(a) alert to all EU Member States. For as long as you have a SOPO, you are on the SOR, even if the prescribed time for the SOR has elapsed. And for as long as you have a SOPO, your conviction is unspent, even if it would normally be spent under the ROA. Basically a SOPO supersedes (i) the time after which the ROA declares the conviction to be spent, and (ii) the time you're told you have to be on the SOR. It sucks. Based on the length of my sentence, my conviction should have been spent after 4 years, but instead it is actually unspent for 10 years due, yes, to the length of my sentence, which also requires the SOR period to be 10 years. The higher number always wins :-( Any official statement/insinuation that the UK doesn't share SOR information with other countries, or that it should only flag upon return but not upon arrival abroad, is pure lies, as can be seen from the many stories on these boards. When you notify your passport number to the police, they then put that number onto the Schengen system, with a note that you are on the SOR. That is part of their standard procedures. The relevant question is do they remove that information once you come off the SOR? In fact, are they able to remove the information? My understanding from various documents is that the SIS 36 alerts are simply that - a flag with no other detail. The border control at the EU country doesn't know what they alert was issued, all they know is that the UK police want them to make discrete checks and confirm where and when you entered/left a country and if you are travelling with anyone else. related, it could be SOR, money laundering, drugs, anything really. My personal experience (I travel to the EU at least 10 times a year) varies considerably - if the border agent has seen an alert before it's always a quick process usually with one question 'how long are you here for'. When they haven't, they take 5 minutes reading all the instructions on their screen, ask a colleague, call a friend and eventually let you through. I've had my passport photocopied once (in Germany). Only time pulled into a room was French police at Eurostar St Pancras - the guard is a loud voice said 'why are the british police interested in you' before taking me to a room. Had to wait until a british border control liason guy came in after 15 minutes - he apologised, called my PPU to check no issues travelling and I was on my way. I called the PPU when i came back and asked if anything had changed as never had a problem at Eurostar before - they shrugged and said it occasionally happens but they didn't know why.
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