Arriving at Heathrow Airport in April 1993 was such an experience for a young second lieutenant as I had just completed military studies in the United States of America and successfully for that matter. My stopover at this London airport was to last for more than twelve hours and what I had in mind was to visit Kgabo Moleofe, my sibling who was studying telecommunication science at the historic military city of Coventry.
As I went through immigration, I was actually surprised that the officer at the arrivals desk insisted on issuing me a six months visa that allowed me to remain in the UK for the duration of the time. I insisted that at the most I needed two days and not months. The officer didn’t care much about the presentation of my case as he had already stamped six months on my passport. By evening, I was already checking in at the departure counter getting myself ready for a long overnight flight to Johannesburg. But at the time, it was that easy for Botswana citizens to enter the UK.
It is interesting that I later entered the UK at the same entry point on more than three occasions as I was transiting to different parts of the world and the last one being Canada in 1997. Little did I know that according to the British, it was a criminal offence to remain at large until 2022 when I next made the attempt to enter that country again.
I would like to share my personal ordeal here which is a reflection of what thousands of Botswana citizens are subjected to and I should not sound like I have anything against the UK government. It is a matter of laying bare the facts on how the British regard us as a country. The stakes are no longer what they used to be as I am not the only one who has experienced such terrible treatment.
On that fateful morning on 19April, I arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at around 0400 hours and I was ready to board my flight to Addis Ababa and then make a connection to London. Because of my past experiences in entering the UK, I was rather casual in answering question asked by the airline personnel. Little did I know that I was being taken through a screening interview. Then I was denied passage to board my flight and was assured that after seeing an immigration official from the British High Commission in Nairobi, I would be allowed passage.
Later in the day a man who identified himself as Khan, an immigration attaché arrived to interview me. This time around I had wizened up and I answered every question diligently. Khan who is of Indian extract told me that I raised three red flags that I was not going to return back from his adopted country. It was all silly! The first flag was that I had not travelled to the UK since 1997 and therefore posed a flight risk. The second red flag was that I had unfortunately, as according to Khan, travelled using a route that is usually used by Botswana citizens who never want to return home from the UK. Third was that I had two nights booking while my stay was going to last for eight days.
Khan demanded an invitation from my hosts in the UK even though I was requesting for a tourist visa. I had been earlier advised by the Ethiopian Airlines staff that I should solicit for a letter of invitation as Khan was never going to let me through without one. By the time Khan arrived, I already had an email from one of my friends who is a citizen of that country who was willing to host me. When the arrogant Khan asked for my invitation, I produced it and he threw it out because it was done on the day I was travelling.
On the three red flags, I tried to defend the one on hotel accommodation. I had actually booked two nights in a London hotel and I was going to move on to Bristol and would choose my accommodation informed by the proximity to the libraries I was visiting. Khan was embarrassed to deny me transit when he asked me how much money I had with me and I was way above their minimum.
I would like to inform the reader that I have not been the only person to be ill-treated by the British officials. In my case, HE Duke Lefhoko tried to intervene on my behalf as he attempted to reason with his British counterpart who clearly told Lefhoko that UK Immigration was autonomous in Kenya and was not allowed to interfere in any way.
Upon my arrival I reported the matter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and even had an opportunity to have audience with the minister. The fact of the matter is; the British High Commission is hell-bent in miss informing government officials in Botswana about what is happening. The British government has taken steps to require visas from Botswana citizens disregarding protocols and existing bilateral agreements between the two nations.
After returning from Kenya, I went to the British High Commission in Gaborone to seek clarity on the matter. It was from the gate that a security guard duly informed me that all Botswana citizens are now requiring visas to enter UK. The fellow appropriately gave me the full address of a company at CBD which has been commissioned to run the visa affairs for the British in this country. The visa applications are then sent to the Pretoria office for processing and once it’s approved, this becomes a guarantee to enter the UK.
This whole thing has been craftily designed to prevent citizens of this country from entering the UK under the visa free arrangement while the British continue to enjoy the same benefits. It is totally unfair and has racist connotations to it.
