Hi there, about 5 years ago I was sent to prison for 20 months for an online-based copyright offence. When I got out, my family wanted to go on holiday and my probation officer fully approved it. Everything was fine.

However, I have noticed now, that every single time I go on holiday (only been to several European countries), I take ages at passport control, they seem to be scrolling through their computer but no-one has ever asked me anything and eventually give my passport back. Whilst this is going on everyone else is flying through, my girlfriend included. My conviction was spent over 3 years ago but I am wondering if they may have put something on my passport when they approved my holiday and never took it off? Does this happen, can this happen? It causes me a lot of anxiety going through passport control and with Brexit coming up it worries me even more.

If it is the case, I hope someone could suggest who I need to contact regarding this? My probabtion officer was made redundant and the place I reported to closed down 2 weeks before my probation ended but i did finish it and signed off.

Thanks for any help!

If your former probation office has closed, you can contact the regional office and ask them for help with the problem. You can find their contact details in the Probation Directory. Don't worry about after Brexit, as the UK will be a visa-free third country, however Brexit pans out. Once their new system (ETIAS) starts, you might have to disclose your conviction until 10 years after the date of conviction. You can find the relevant list at the end of this document. It does include "counterfeiting and piracy of products" and "computer-related crime/cybercrime".

=========================================================================================================

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)

There is nothing in your passport or that can be stored in your passport about criminal records. What is in the chip is a digital version of the personal details page and nothing more. You can see it yourself using NFC enabled apps on android phones.

If you were subject to travel notification requirements because you are a registered sex offender or known football hooligan, then within europe they would see a flag associated with your passport number telling them you are on a watchlist. Based on what your wrote, you are not on any such list.