Christian asked:
I left the UK two and half years ago with an outstanding debt of around 600GBP to bank/credit cards etc. I must return later this year for a wedding and am a little worried about getting arrested at the airport. Can the banks be made aware of my return from the airlines/immigration? I have no worries about fixing up the outstanding debt, though I won’t bother coming back if it means spending any time in gaol!
I left the UK two and half years ago with an outstanding debt of around 600GBP to bank/credit cards etc. I must return later this year for a wedding and am a little worried about getting arrested at the airport. Can the banks be made aware of my return from the airlines/immigration? I have no worries about fixing up the outstanding debt, though I won’t bother coming back if it means spending any time in gaol!
#1 by David H - January 23rd, 2010 at 17:57
Immigration will only be aware if the banks obtained an order of a Court to compel you to repay the debt. The UK no longer imprisons people for debt, though it does for disobeying a Court Order. Still, if you never heard of the existence of asuch an Order it hasn’t yet been served on you so you can’t be in contempt of it,
On the whole I would think the chance of you having any problem on a short visit is negligible. Just don’t look nervous as you approach Immigration and Customs!
#2 by fiona - January 25th, 2010 at 16:53
We no longer jail debtors unless they are in breach of a court order.
It is more likely that your outstanding debt has been notified to the Immigration Service. On arrival in the UK, you would then be held at Immigration Control pending further investigation (if you were held overnight, then it will be in the cells!) If the debt still exists, then you will be deported back to your airport of origin on the next available flight of the airline that brought you here, on the grounds of unsatisfactory character. Until that flight, you will be held in the cells. If deported, then the chance of your ever getting back into the UK becomes almost non-existant. If, during this incarceration, the debt is settled, you will still be deported!
To avoid this hassle, you need to settle the outstanding debt (plus interest and charges) well BEFORE you start your journey AND take a copy of the settlement with you on the flight. Even then, a stay in the Immigration cells could still become a possibility, pending confirmation that no other debts exist.
#3 by Pie, Mash & Liqour - January 26th, 2010 at 03:49
Somehow I think immigration have a lot more to worry about than someone skipping out on a small credit card debt and lets be honest 600 isn’t exactly huge, especially if it’s across more than one bank/credit card.
As others have said being in debt is not an arrestable offence, yes technically if they’ve gone all the way, they might get a court order out on you… but for 600 quid it won’t be warrant for arrest .. only big deliberate fraudsters and VAT/Tax fiddlers get that kind of treatment.
The banks won’t have a clue that you are coming back, that debt has probably been written off and your credit report black-marked for 7 years. So your chances of getting a UK credit card or mortgage are zero, but getting nicked at customs…. no.
Won’t happen, do you really think they can be arsed to check every passenger who comes into the country for credit card defaults ?
I only wish the government were capable of such efficiency !
Having said all that, there’s nothing like a bit of good karma and paying off what you owe.
#4 by Jane - July 6th, 2011 at 10:19
Dear everyone,
Would like to ask experts you the following question, hope you all can help me with this! Thanks.
I have a 8000 pounds credit card debt in UK in 2009, will I be arrested if I return it back to UK this year? I haven’t got any court letter at home even now the bank has no more chased me for this debt by letter ( they used to send me a lot of letter to settle down the debt, however, I had not been umemployed for 3 years, so I did not have the ability to pay my debt.). I heard some of the cases that people have more that 10k debt in UK, but still can return it back to UK for short period. The only thing is that I’m worrying if I will be arrested at tge airport?
Please help me with my concern please!
Million thanks!