Welsh tourist in US chained 'like Hannibal Lecter'
Welsh tourist in US chained 'like Hannibal Lecter'
Becky Burke's parents say her legs, waist and hands were secured by US immigration officers.
Summary
Welsh tourist Becky Burke was detained for 19 days in a US immigration facility and transported in chains like "Hannibal Lecter" after alleged visa violations.
Burke had been backpacking and staying with host families in exchange for help around the house, which authorities suspected breached her tourist visa conditions.
Deported on March 18, she described the ordeal as traumatizing. Her parents criticized the harsh treatment and are considering addressing the issue politically.
I'd like to see how policies like these affect hospitality and tourism here in the States. These stories are not good for business.
For some reason I'm confident this is not the first time this happened. But now it's covered by European sources so news leak out to the public.
It happened to a well known Canadian actress (she is well known for her role in the American pie films). She was detained for months over what would have been a tiny paperwork error just a few years ago. She said that the women she was imprisoned also had no criminal record but were treated like murderers.
Where do you find people deranged enough to do this to other human beings without any rational explanation?
It seems like "everyday sadists" are attracted to positions of petty authority, but it appears to be a requirement to be some kinda psycho to be offered the job at the border.
How many people oversaw this? How many questioned it? How many said nothing?
Why are we not seeing more travel advisories? I know of a few but if this was any other nation you would have advisories from almost everyone by now.
There's some inertia that needs to be overcome, but it's coming. UK and Germany already posted (rather tame...) advisories.
It’s happening, slowly but surely. UK issued one today.
Like how of any nation is that green?
Such an inhumane country. Keeping people in shackles like cattle. Hell, not even cattle gets treated like that.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44518942 And yet, he was voted in AGAIN.
Another reminder: these, and all the detention facilities are privately owned and for profit. The motivation is to have a full house to maximize profits.
Just more systems put in place to worship the American God: money.
No crime is too great as long as the parasites at the top are taking more and more and more of our wealth and prosperity from us.
A US customs spokesman previously said they could not discuss specific cases but that travellers were treated with "integrity, respect and according to law".
Bullshit. Too many stories are coming out that prove that's a lie.
Fuck America and fuck Trump.
Anyone who's been arrested here knows what a bunch of bullshit that is. The psychopath American people created a legal system that's as harsh and dehumanizing as they could possibly make it under the constitution, and now it's going to get worse.
The cop car seats are made out of hard plastic, and there are no seat belts. They literally want you to fucking die on the way to jail. It happens in a regular basis, and no one cares because this country is full of vengeful sociopaths. They don't care if you're innocent or guilty. They don't care what you were charged with (for me it was smoking weed). And that's just the beginning.
The American people have made it plainly obvious for decades that the constitution is just a piece of paper that gets in the way of their bloodlust and cruelty.
Anyone who's surprised by America veering into fascism has only known this country from a coddled point of view. The current dictatorship is a wet dream for a lot of Americans, and they aren't going to change their minds until he destroys the country, and even then they'll probably celebrate it.
The “according to the law” line gets me, the laws are inhumane, you’re not a good person because you enforce nazi laws
There is no law anymore. This is full on dictatorship. Judges are being ignored. SCOTUS is complicit.
Trump's tenure really exposes how many people work in various law enforcement functions apparently just for the privilege to humiliate and hurt people.
At all levels too. I mean, why the 24 hours a day fluorescent lights so you don't know night from day? How does that help? Hell, how does it even make more money? Even with senior management, the cruelty is the point.
And he is their patron saint now.
The War on drugs has been going for decades with bipartisan support.
Me (British) and my American gf are planning to visit her friends and family over the summer in Navada, Washington and New Mexico. Not so sure i want to go anymore.
Do not go to America! I wouldn’t take any chances. At this point we are a dictatorship country and you’ll be held in a prison if you can escape the corrupt pigs and ice.
Geezus. I’m right next door (Canadian), and I wouldn’t even consider going there. They’re going to start using ANY excuse to detain people. In December 2018, Canadian nationals Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were taken into custody in China. It appeared that their detention on December 10 and subsequent indictment under the state secrets law were linked to the arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada on December 1. In English-language media, the pair are frequently and colloquially referred to as the Two Michaels. Wikipedia. EDIT: I spent 35 years crossing the border camping, shopping, and feeling like I was with trusted neighbours. Really sad...
Wasn't it found that those two actually were spies, and it wasn't complete bs that China made that accusation?
Stay the fuck away.
Don't. I used to hike around the southern states for fun. Currently residing in one. The border patrol goons are just headhunting to fill quotas now. Anybody is game. I myself am planning my move out of country right now. Even the magats are not safe and are willing to sacrifice themselves for their hateful ideals.
100% trust your gut. It's not a good idea.
Don't.
At this point I would recommend against any non-US national from traveling to the US.
I’m Latino Canadian so I’m not going anywhere near the u.s, fuck that.
It's not safe here
Call ICE hotline, explain that her friends and family are all illegal aliens, then you can all meet at the ICE detention centre - no planning stress!
Anybody who still travels to the Untied States at this point is a fool
So long as Magats remain in charge, traveling to the US is now like traveling to China. You'll probably see some pretty cool things but also have an above 0% chance for a life traumatizing event.
After reading some of these stories I would not visit the US right now. Id stay home and stay safe
I do that with regimes. I started out with Turkey, added Hungary and Israel, Russia, Philippines Saudi Arabia and quatar
Countries I'd visit are shrinking.
Traveling to a fascist country might be challenging, I personnaly wouldn't take the chance.
Or, at least, only go with organized tours and a local guide. As long as you don't steal any propaganda posters, you should survive.
They don't want foreigners in that country any more, and are willing to treat them badly to get their message across.
Don't end up in one of their detainment concentration camps, you never know when you'll be allowed to leave, the way they keep suddenly changing how they do things - for the worse - every few weeks, it could be never.
Don't go to that country. It's too dangerous.
Our government certainly doesn't want foreigners here, but the people remain welcoming.
I lived in San Diego, CA for the entirety of Trump's first term. He kept making it sound like criminals were flooding in there, and harming us. The narrative was that we were victims, and he was some sort of hero.
The reality was we love our Mexican neighbors... And we fucking hate that asshole for lying and demonizing our friends, colleagues, and family members.
This all said, it is not safe here any longer for us in the long term, or foreigners in the short term. He has lost his damn mind, literally, and his followers are brainwashed. America is unsafe, and unstable.
Also they might just deport you to some concentration camp in El Salvador for having the wrong tattoo and who knows if you can get out of there ever again. I wouldn't trust anyone saying "they would never do that to tourists" at this point.
Well, you won't see me entering the US anytime soon.
Can't wait until the summer rolls around and the fascists start arresting kids for setting up lemonade stands and whatnot.
They probably freaked out when she started speaking Welsh. Understandable.
Frankly, it's an upper class/ lower class situation. Welsh people, historically just couldn't afford vowels. ;-)
You mean when they spoke terrorist? /s
They did this to a white person?!?!?! That's news!
smh
They are absolutely desperate to fill their quotas, they're selfish cowards who know how quickly their Dear Leader will throw them under the bus if they don't
Why was she refused entry to Canada?
This is a better article but basically she was 'working' in the US by exchanging help around the house for a place to stay. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80y3yx1jdyo
Apparently the Canadians were concerned she'd work while in Canada? This kind of housework for accommodation is super common in the backpacking, hostel, hitchhiking kind of space. It's ridiculous to treat tourists like this because of simply doing a little house work.
Another example with hikers going along the AT or PCT will frequently do housework like activities to payback hostels or shuttle drivers.
Oh sure, it's all wink-wink-nod when it's a white person, but soon enough you know who'll be "backpacking" around? Brown people!. that's right.
I'm sorry to scare you so, but this is very important in today's fascist putsching.
Most countries are pretty strict with what you are and aren't allowed to do while on a tourist visa. For example, tourists are generally not allowed to work or earn income while visiting, you need a work visa for that. Now I'm not 100% versed on how work is defined in this case, but they must have interpreted her chores-for-accommodation setup as work. Not excusing what they did to her, just providing context on the restrictions of tourist visas. I'm sure a lot of people have been doing this for a while, and the current immigration climate is likely why they're just flagging it now.
Omg I was actually worried for a second! She had to shuffle lol true this maybe embarrassing and the process dehumanising. People are dying under state powers.
These are the privileged individuals who get good media coverage (read: conventionally attractive young white women) and have wealth and/or connections. Everyone knows that if this is how they're treating the most privileged of people, it's going to be 100x worse for those who aren't as privileged. Covering abuses in the news that are indefensible makes it much harder to ignore the less black and white abuses that are happening every day
The interesting thing about this is the amount of spin the bbc is putting on it. They generally do far less of that than US media outlets. But calling her a tourist in the headline is a clear misrepresentation. And really, they didn't even need to go there. The real story was already bad enough. She could have been full on running a housekeeping business, and the chains still would be ridiculous cruelty worth reporting on. Even Canada said no way when she tried to enter as a "tourist". But I guess she should have asked for assylum rather than come back to the US at that point.
But calling her a tourist in the headline is a clear misrepresentation
Sure thing, and if you stay over at a friend's house and make the bed in the morning it's their legal obligation to report you for not obtaining a proper license for your housecleaning business first /s
These weren't "friends" houses. I personally think there should be some kind of visa for this. I just don't like how media headlines continue to get worse. The BBC has been better than most.
Yes it curious. I expect it’s just some young keen reporter exploiting the zeitgeist.
Like a lot of countries, the US have never been kind to visa abusers, but chaining them up is new. I note they haven’t asked her how it happened and she has t said, yet.
Others have speculated that she was just to honest with the boarder staff. And just told them what she was doing. Probably didn't even know it was against the terms of her visa. But remember, Elon says empathy is our greatest weakness. Doesn't seem to be much of that in ICE.
No pain, no chain.
Hannibal Lecter was straightjacketed, strapped to a hand truck, and muzzled.
And as we all know, simile must always be used with 100% accuracy or it's all bullshit.
I think they mean in the cage scene, isn't he chained up and then gets the key off the guy by eating him and wearing his face?
Well why didn't she try that?