Prince of Sweden detained in US customs

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2007-01-17 04:07am

Aftonbladet.se Swedish newspaper.

I think that the US ambassador to Sweden will have some explaining to do.

He has a diplomatic passport.

Julhelm · Post by **Julhelm** » 2007-01-17 04:29am

Let's see here: He goes to the US alone, without a legit visa, says he's going to work on a documentary, and then says he's the prince of Sweden showing a diplomatic passport.

Now, as far as the Immigrations guy is concerned, this "prince" is fishy since he shows up without a legit visa, and since people in the US can hardly distinguish Sweden from Switzerland, are you seriously suggesting Joe Average working in the airport is going to recognize a swedish prince by looks and name only? Besides, it's Calle's own goddamn fault for not bringing someone around to back up his story. I mean, how many royalty arrive without any kind of bodyguard troupe at all?

Yeah he has a diplomatic passport, but as far as a security guy is concerned, it could just as well be a fake one.

Spin Echo · Post by **Spin Echo** » 2007-01-17 04:34am

Julhelm wrote:Let's see here: He goes to the US alone, without a legit visa, says he's going to work on a documentary, and then says he's the prince of Sweden showing a diplomatic passport.

Last time I checked Sweden was in the visa waiver program, unless that somehow doesn't apply to diplomats. Of course, you may need some sort of visa if you intend to do journalistic work in the US. I had some difficulty wading through the actual article so I'm not completely sure what was going on.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2007-01-17 04:57am

Spin Echo wrote:
Julhelm wrote:Let's see here: He goes to the US alone, without a legit visa, says he's going to work on a documentary, and then says he's the prince of Sweden showing a diplomatic passport.
Last time I checked Sweden was in the visa waiver program, unless that somehow doesn't apply to diplomats. Of course, you may need some sort of visa if you intend to do journalistic work in the US. I had some difficulty wading through the actual article so I'm not completely sure what was going on.

They recently started making life difficult for foreign journalists travelling to the US. As a UK citizen I can go to the us without a visa for business or pleasure, unless my business is journalism.

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2007-01-17 08:07am

LOL! A minute and a google search would be enough to verify who he was, even that charming fellow Phelps hav a few pics on GodHatesSweden IIRC. Still flying in from Venezuela with questionable documentation and no SÄPO escort might not have been the smartest thing to do.

GSV Use Psychology · Post by **GSV Use Psychology** » 2007-01-17 09:16am

The article mentioned that SÄPO didn't think it was necessary to follow the prince to the USA, since the country is considered safe. He did have them in Venzuela, where he was arriving from.

Gustav32Vasa · Post by **Gustav32Vasa** » 2007-01-17 09:39am

The same thing happend a couple years ago when the Queen was to have a meeting with Bush, the police stopped Her.

Tranan · Post by **Tranan** » 2007-01-17 11:55am

Julhelm wrote:Let's see here: He goes to the US alone, without a legit visa, says he's going to work on a documentary, and then says he's the prince of Sweden showing a diplomatic passport.

Now, as far as the Immigrations guy is concerned, this "prince" is fishy since he shows up without a legit visa, and since people in the US can hardly distinguish Sweden from Switzerland, are you seriously suggesting Joe Average working in the airport is going to recognize a swedish prince by looks and name only? Besides, it's Calle's own goddamn fault for not bringing someone around to back up his story. I mean, how many royalty arrive without any kind of bodyguard troupe at all?

Yeah he has a diplomatic passport, but as far as a security guy is concerned, it could just as well be a fake one.

So USA consider all diplomatic passport as a fake or ar they not competent to look it up?

And Philip is not the crow prince or under any threat plus the USA is consider mostly harmless.

kheegster · Post by **kheegster** » 2007-01-17 12:09pm

Julhelm wrote:Let's see here: He goes to the US alone, without a legit visa, says he's going to work on a documentary, and then says he's the prince of Sweden showing a diplomatic passport.

Plenty of people travel alone, and as has already been mentioned, Sweden qualifies for visa waiver in any case.

Now, as far as the Immigrations guy is concerned, this "prince" is fishy since he shows up without a legit visa, and since people in the US can hardly distinguish Sweden from Switzerland, are you seriously suggesting Joe Average working in the airport is going to recognize a swedish prince by looks and name only?

The point is not that he is a prince, but that he's carrying a diplomatic passport. Even if he was carrying 20 kgs of crack cocaine and smuggling stolen US national secrets, they would have no right to touch him.

And I hope DHS/INS officers are slightly better trained and educated than 'Joe Average'. Or at least better-mannered.

Besides, it's Calle's own goddamn fault for not bringing someone around to back up his story. I mean, how many royalty arrive without any kind of bodyguard troupe at all?

Apart from immediate royalty (e.g. king, queen or crown prince), usually none at all unless they're travelling to a place where they might be threatened. You think Prince Harry is going to have bodyguard troupe if he gets deployed to Iraq?

Yeah he has a diplomatic passport, but as far as a security guy is concerned, it could just as well be a fake one.

Even with normal passports, you do not assume it is fake unless you are given good reason to suspect so.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-01-17 02:01pm

It's called the "benefit of the doubt". You don't go accusing people of fake passports with wanton abandon. Else, not only will it be a waste of resources, you invite lawsuits. In this matter, this little diplomatic incident is going to cost some people their heads, especially for a diplomatic passport.

Vohu Manah · Post by **Vohu Manah** » 2007-01-17 02:11pm

Was the Prince traveling into the US from Venezuela as the map on the article implies? Sorry, I don't read Swedish. I do recall reading/hearing that the 501st had problems obtaining visas for its members traveling from Venezuela to participate in the Rose Parade, which seems to imply to me that travelers arriving from there are undergoing extra scrutiny.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2007-01-17 02:13pm

Vohu Manah wrote:Was the Prince traveling into the US from Venezuela as the map on the article implies? Sorry, I don't read Swedish. I do recall reading/hearing that the 501st had problems obtaining visas for its members traveling from Venezuela to participate in the Rose Parade, which seems to imply to me that travelers arriving from there are undergoing extra scrutiny.

Yes.

But he has a fucking diplomatic passport, he might not score high on the world celeberty list like paris hilton, but anyways the disrespect of the us immegrations is appealing.

I hope all involved gets fired and blacklisted.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2007-01-17 02:40pm

Could someone post a quick and dirty summary of that article?
There are a few things I'm not clear on, such as did they continue to detain him after they verified his diplomatic passport was genuine?
How long was he detained and how was he treated while he was being detained, and so on.

If they detained him and were courteous during the detention while they called the State Department (or the Swedish Embassy or whomever they call to do it) to verify the passport was genuine and then let him go with apologies after it was verified, frankly I don't see the issue.
After all, it's not as if forged passports don't exist.

Now if they detained him after the passport was ruled to be genuine and/or were rude or abusive during his detainment, then there is a problem.

Vohu Manah · Post by **Vohu Manah** » 2007-01-17 02:42pm

Faram wrote:
Vohu Manah wrote:Was the Prince traveling into the US from Venezuela as the map on the article implies? Sorry, I don't read Swedish. I do recall reading/hearing that the 501st had problems obtaining visas for its members traveling from Venezuela to participate in the Rose Parade, which seems to imply to me that travelers arriving from there are undergoing extra scrutiny.
Yes.

But he has a fucking diplomatic passport, he might not score high on the world celeberty list like paris hilton, but anyways the disrespect of the us immegrations is appealing.

I hope all involved gets fired and blacklisted.

I see a lot of people come through the checkpoint with diplomatic passports, they mean jack and shit (the US issues them to missionaries for instance, and they are accorded no additional courtesies). Possession of said passport does not mean one has diplomatic immunity. If the Prince has diplomatic immunity, you would definitely have grounds for an incident. If he is only in possession of a diplomatic passport, than he is no different than anyone else traveling into the US.

Spin Echo · Post by **Spin Echo** » 2007-01-17 02:52pm

Well, translated from the Dagbladet article, the prince had been filming a documentary in Venezuela. His security detail considered the US safe, so they flew back to Sweden while he flew onto Miami. When he presented his diplomatic passport to the authorities and claimed to be a Swedish royal, they didn't believe him because he wasn't behaving how they expected royalty to behave; he didn't have guards and had waited in line with all the normal people. He also didn't have a work visa for the documentary work he said he was going to do. They ended upholding him overnight until they figured out he was telling the truth and he arrived in Washington a day late.

Apparently the prince thought it was quite exciting.

Jason von Evil · Post by **Jason von Evil** » 2007-01-17 02:57pm

Odd, I can understand some of that funny jibberish.

I know Swedish![/von Logic!]

But yes, we must always be vigilant for those dastardly Scandinavian terrorists.

Seriously, what did they think? That he was the vanguard for a viking invasion?

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2007-01-17 03:19pm

Spin Echo wrote:Well, translated from the Dagbladet article, the prince had been filming a documentary in Venezuela. His security detail considered the US safe, so they flew back to Sweden while he flew onto Miami. When he presented his diplomatic passport to the authorities and claimed to be a Swedish royal, they didn't believe him because he wasn't behaving how they expected royalty to behave; he didn't have guards and had waited in line with all the normal people. He also didn't have a work visa for the documentary work he said he was going to do. They ended upholding him overnight until they figured out he was telling the truth and he arrived in Washington a day late.

Apparently the prince thought it was quite exciting.

So, profiling at work, basically?

kheegster · Post by **kheegster** » 2007-01-17 03:31pm

Spin Echo wrote:Well, translated from the Dagbladet article, the prince had been filming a documentary in Venezuela. His security detail considered the US safe, so they flew back to Sweden while he flew onto Miami. When he presented his diplomatic passport to the authorities and claimed to be a Swedish royal, they didn't believe him because he wasn't behaving how they expected royalty to behave; he didn't have guards and had waited in line with all the normal people. He also didn't have a work visa for the documentary work he said he was going to do. They ended upholding him overnight until they figured out he was telling the truth and he arrived in Washington a day late.

Memo to all royalty: Next time you're arriving in the US, haughtily insist on being let through and address the INS officers as 'you worthless rabble'.

Apparently the prince thought it was quite exciting.

I just had a mental image of the Prince Regent from Black Adder going "Oooh, how terribly exciting!".