British HC hits through the gaps

16 May 2015 02:24 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 48 Bookmark

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Commenting on the incident where Cricketer Kumar Sangakkara faced an unpleasant experience with a UK immigration officer in London, the British High Commission in Colombo on Friday said their Border Force officers were trained to maintain high standards of professionalism and courtesy, especially at the UK Border.

When contacted by Daily Mirror to get a response from the High Commission over the incident, it further said there might be instances when officers failed to carry out duties maintaining accepted standards.
"We recognise that there may be instances when officers fail to adhere to these standards. However, all official complaints lodged with the UK Border Force are rigorously investigated," it said.(Sunil Jayasiri)

Unpleasant experience with UK Immi. officer-Sanga

Comments - 48

Lanka Saturday, 16 May 2015 03:38 PM

Actually HC, Our forces also maintain very high standards of professionalism under extreme conditions.

2 2

Tilak Saturday, 16 May 2015 01:36 PM

Probably he had been expecting VIP treatment from the British custom officials as he is a reputed cricket player.We all should be aware that those western countries officials are well trained and cultured team but not like Sri Lanka officers who involuntarily bent their spine to VIPs . So my request is to be patient and submit your points clearly for consideration.

3 12

Peyan perinbam Saturday, 16 May 2015 01:41 PM

Playing silly games with English, Arujuna taught the Aussies and Murali tried to teach the British Priminister. They will never learn, may be Putin has some doses for them.

7 2

DOTA Saturday, 16 May 2015 01:43 PM

Sanga could have selected IPL than English County.

0 4

Patriot Saturday, 16 May 2015 01:46 PM

True there is tough border control in certain developed countries and we can not blame the border control officers for being strict sometimes as they have to be diligent because of the terrorist threat worldwide. Heathrow is much better compared to airports in USA or some of the European countries or Australia or New Zealand. I guess Sanga is overreacting to a very minor incident .

3 7

Maya Saturday, 16 May 2015 01:52 PM

Well, UK Boarder Agency has Immigration Officials at Heathrow who are Sri Lankan origin as well. Some idiotic comments here suggest all are whites. However the UKBA now trained to be tough like North Americans. Nearly a millions Lankans of all communities are allowed to settled down in UK and we must appreciate their generosity.

1 9

kushan Saturday, 16 May 2015 02:28 PM

Before we comment or blame anybody else we have to justify on ourselves. Look at our immigration officers , no courtesy at all and no smile no greeting.But what happened to Sangakkara is not accepted . on the other hand though Sangakkara is well know person for cricket fans he is an ordinary passenger for a football fan who cannot recognize Sanga at first glance.

0 8

Ravi Saturday, 16 May 2015 02:41 PM

"all official complaints lodged with the UK Border Force are rigorously investigated"And... It continues there after?Words are nice to play with, but the truth is hiding.

2 4

Gamini Saturday, 16 May 2015 02:42 PM

British immigration white officers are very polite and courteous. Most of the Asian officers are the worst. Now in UK border control, unfortunately most are Asians.

2 8

lasali Saturday, 16 May 2015 02:57 PM

Is it really? So it is problem a nationality to be rude/gentleman?..

5 56

Doc - KSA Saturday, 16 May 2015 03:09 PM

Normal immigration tortures at LHR. May passengers experienced.

1 2

shantha Saturday, 16 May 2015 03:14 PM

Most of these immigration officers are third world immigrants and this was most likely a Pakistani.Anyone landing in Heathrow in the past thirty years would think they landed in India or Pakistan.

1 5

jil jil Saturday, 16 May 2015 01:26 PM

if go behind money have to face all these. he can serve some more to Lanka. UKBA may be correct sometimes. via DM Android App

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S B Lokuge Saturday, 16 May 2015 03:42 PM

I wish all the diplomats too are trained to maintain high professional standards of professionalism and courtesy especially when they are posted to poor countries like ours. The ones that were here recently shot themselves on their feet so many times supporting the terrorists.

3 2

Ranbanda Saturday, 16 May 2015 03:57 PM

Either Sanga or the IO must have been drunk.

1 2

Boonda Saturday, 16 May 2015 04:09 PM

What about others who claimed asylum in UK? Somawansa claimed asylum and was given too.

3 27

Citizen Perera Saturday, 16 May 2015 06:04 PM

Just because border officers are trained well does not mean that the officers carry out their duties professionally. Typical British- BULL S* from the HC as usual.

3 3

dave Saturday, 16 May 2015 06:28 PM

Whole Cricket world know who Sanga is... either so called officer was from far remote place in UK or he was really angry about how Sanga beat English team

5 38

Shan Saturday, 16 May 2015 06:29 PM

Sanga , you should have called your mahinda rajapaksa from the London

3 6

dave Saturday, 16 May 2015 06:31 PM

Can you list down what they had done please

28 7

malij Saturday, 16 May 2015 06:44 PM

B. H. Commission....Hit Wicket......b. Sangakkara.......00

2 3

shukri Saturday, 16 May 2015 07:03 PM

Europian think their the best in the world other animal when any europian comes here sri lanka we doing our level best why? We should ignor this type of people

3 3

truefacts4U Sunday, 17 May 2015 08:43 AM

What is sanga is being a cricketer has to do with UKBA IO ??? Nothing ..... he is just another traveler in his eyes.

1 5

NOEL Friday, 22 May 2015 05:46 PM

First and foremost we need to know what rally took place. Did Sanga politely answer the questions put to him by the immigration officer? Sanga is a very arrogant person, he thinks he can speak better English than the English and may have answered the question in a dismissive manner or in a arrogant manner. Second point is Sanga usually appears in a dishevelled manner even when he is travelling. May be thinking that the border control person should recognise him and wont question him at all.For the BC officer Sanga is another traveller and even if he has recognised he need to carry out his duties. If you are smart with any officials either in SL or abroad you will get unpleasant treatment. Let Sanga try his smartness with SL cop then he will know the British immigration officials re angels in comparison. For the SL people who think that British came and just ruined our country, I say this they left behind a good political system, good education system (later ruined by the Bandaranaike

0 1

wanarthamulla Saturday, 16 May 2015 11:24 AM

SL Customs, Air Port Security Staff and Immigration and Emigration should be more Vigilant, Extra Careful and Suspicious of English Cricket team when visit SL next.and show that we are even better professionals.Thereafter could see the reaction.

11 6

Nihal Amarasekera Saturday, 16 May 2015 08:37 AM

High standards of professionalism, no bar to colour bar?

7 94

Ranjith Saturday, 16 May 2015 09:05 AM

If that it is the case then it is a well planned mission by the UK guys. Sanga mentioned this was the only occasion something like this happened. May be he is not a cricket lover.

10 44

TJ Saturday, 16 May 2015 09:22 AM

I am a very frequent traveler to the west. The British and Canadian immigration officials are the most discourteous officials on the earth. The problem is that they set their own standards and call it the highest..

14 144

H.D.Gunaratne Saturday, 16 May 2015 09:29 AM

These Suddas think that they are the only civilised race in the world. Shame.

23 124

G.M. Jayawardena Saturday, 16 May 2015 09:38 AM

The south origin Asians failed to gain their reputation in UK for their weak social ethics and this incidence is a result of that.

35 52

Calistus Jayatilleke Saturday, 16 May 2015 09:42 AM

Typical British diplomatic jargon.

12 91

S.F Saturday, 16 May 2015 10:32 AM

Best of BRITISH BULLSHIT

18 98

Prem Nath Saturday, 16 May 2015 10:56 AM

Bet you nothing will come out of it.The British!

12 82

grace Saturday, 16 May 2015 11:07 AM

They ruined the country by adopting divide and rule policy Originated the racialism in sri Lanka showing partiality and priority....now coming out with bull shit excuse.....the official may be a Scottish ....hats off to SANGA for digesting the incident in a gentleman way ..as he always behave ..

8 37

DA Saturday, 16 May 2015 11:10 AM

This is nonsense, there are citizens from numerous countries including Australia that have complained about the conduct of UK Border Agency staff. They are completely unprofessional and need customer service training and some common sense to go with their role!Asking Sri Lankans if they are Tamil or someone with darker skin if they are Muslim is not professional. Some of this irrelevant and if they must know all these little details there is a much more professional manner to obtain these results without prejudice, discrimination and offence.I can comment on this because I have had the same subjected to me in the Uk, and then when I complain to more senior officials they beg several times for me to make a formal complaint upon return to get so me change happening, only for them to afterwards deny everything afterwards. The UK seem to think they are the only country in existence and visiting elsewhere or being born outside it is a criminal offence.

3 36

iemerald Saturday, 16 May 2015 11:15 AM

THERE ARE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE IN EVERY COUNTRY UNPLEASANT UNPROFESSIONAL AND MANY A TIME RACIST XENOPHOBIC OFFICIALS IN EVERY STATE DEPARTMENTS. THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR HAPPENS IN SRI LANKA TOO BUT NEVER PUBLICISED UNLESS THE RECIPIENT IS AN ELITIST INDIVIDUAL.BORDER FORCE OFFICIAL WILL FACE SOME FORM OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION.

3 22

ziyard Saturday, 16 May 2015 08:19 AM

The incident kumar had to face was unfortunate,border force officers have to be vigilant because south asian crooks would try every pssible trick to get in,i have cofidence if kumar lodges a complaint that it will be rigorously investigated.UK immigration officers polite unlike our sri lankan officers,i have been to england many times and i have always been treated well.

125 55

KUMAR SHANTHI Saturday, 16 May 2015 11:54 AM

The British HC must know they owe Sri Lanka trillions of pounds which they cannot repay, for the damage these fellows did to Sri Lanka during their 400 year colonization of this beautiful island

13 27

Sha Saturday, 16 May 2015 11:54 AM

Sanga should have complained to the authorities then and there rather than tweeting.

8 14

Premalal Saturday, 16 May 2015 12:01 PM

If white westerners are so bad why do our patriots clamour to go to their countries? What better place to live other than the miracle of Asia and the paradise on earth combined in one. Hypocrisy should also exercised with some dignity.

6 21

pras Saturday, 16 May 2015 12:00 PM

our reputation is bad due to LTTE tamils via DM Android App

15 20

DR RIFAI Saturday, 16 May 2015 12:08 PM

i have been working with UKBA for more than 10 years and IO and CIO are professionally trained and very polite. This is exceptional one . There may be a few who do not follow Home Office guidance on customer service. Sanga is a well known cricket player and yet, how come this IO di not know him. probably he was not a cricket fan or never seen him at all.

10 10

common sense Saturday, 16 May 2015 12:13 PM

Still no one knows actually what had happened to Kumar and how he had been treated by this immigration officer. Has he reported this matter to the relevant British Authority?

0 8

Zeus Saturday, 16 May 2015 12:37 PM

The British think that we are still under their stupid rule! This scum of society who messed up the world think that just because they speak english that they are superior!! We are proud to say that there are Asians, Africans and many others who speak better and good english than them and also far more educated and refined than these Barbarians.

8 9

Lokka Saturday, 16 May 2015 12:44 PM

Admit that our bogus assylum seekers have tarnished the mage of the country

3 11

jsunilperera Saturday, 16 May 2015 01:24 PM

I have been to UK more than 50 times. I never had any problems with the Immigration Officers or Customs Officers. In the first place, we should know to be polite to these officers and not arrogant behavior. We should answer the questions that they ask and they have a right to ask questions to enter their country. I agree, the Immigration Officers are well trained and they have patience considering the fatigue of the traveler after traveling for 10 hours.

4 18

cristo Saturday, 16 May 2015 01:25 PM

You are a zenophobic bigoted fool and your mouth confirms it

79 24

cristo Saturday, 16 May 2015 01:26 PM

What do want...a royal inguiry FFS !

25 10

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