BMJ  2004;328:235 (24 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7433.235-a

reviews

SOUNDINGS

Land of the free

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

At the age of 19, I got a job lifeguarding at a kids' summer camp in America. I let slip to a colleague that I didn't have a work permit. Next day, I got a ride in a yellow car with the siren screaming just like in Starsky and Hutch, while handcuffed to a hunky cop. I got six hours of questioning and my mugshot and fingerprints taken by the FBI. And I got deported.

Six months ago, I was invited to give the opening keynote lecture at an international conference in New York. My visa application included an Undesirable Alien Form. I ticked the boxes to indicate that I did not plan any subversive or terrorist activities, and that I had never knowingly engaged in genocide.

I was summoned to the US embassy and took along six character references from seriously important people. After a body search, I . . . [Full text of this article]

University College London

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Rapid Responses:

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What a traumatic coincidence

Dr.Ali H Rasheed
bmj.com, 23 Jan 2004 [Full text]

I feel your pain.

Paul Cook
bmj.com, 23 Jan 2004 [Full text]

How does the UK treat its previous deportees?

Kenneth S. Wilson MD(Edin)
bmj.com, 24 Jan 2004 [Full text]

No previous convictions!

Gyan C. A. Fernando
bmj.com, 25 Jan 2004 [Full text]

what if the land come to you?!

Omar Khaireddin Alayoubi
bmj.com, 25 Jan 2004 [Full text]

Serves You Right , Trisha

Joseph .C . Obi
bmj.com, 30 Jan 2004 [Full text]

Unfriendly welcome

Nicky H G Whitaker
bmj.com, 26 Jan 2004 [Full text]

Is not UK the land of the free as well?

Prabhat K Mahapatra
bmj.com, 2 Feb 2004 [Full text]