International boundaries

Yep several stories like this at CDG.
Some areas of the Terminal are considered as “International territory” as are the “International Waters”. Pretty weird !

That’s what intrigues me. The so called ‘International zones’. What laws are present there?

Immigration is just a beaurocratic formality. The gits just exist to annoy travelers.

In reality, you have entered a country when you set foot on its soil. The only purpose of immigration is formalise your entry or to detect errors (eg. denying someone entry). There may also be conditions attaching to your entry, which would not be noted or observed if you didn’t stand in line for a rubber stamp and an interrogation.

As an aside, passports themselves are nothing special. They’re just bits of paper which confirm your identity. If you could confirm your identity some other way, that would be OK. If you forget your passport, you can sometimes travel anyway: the airline will call immigration in your destination and ask them for the green light.

On this basis, British visitors into much of Europe in the 1800’s didn’t need a passport: everyone knew they were British, and in those days, no one thought to ask too many questions – the only function of a passport was to confirm nationality, which happened anyway when the visitor opened their mouth!

Some areas of the Terminal are considered as “International territory” as are the “International Waters”. Pretty weird !

Most UK airports have ‘free zones’ for fiscal purposes, but these are technically in the jurisdicture of the UK.

Think of it this way, you walk up to a house by crossing the front yard and ring a door bell. No one has answered yet:

You’re not in the house,

But you’re on the property…

Well, it’s not like you’re sitting in their living room, right?

But you’re on the property…

But no one’s let you in yet!

But you’re on the property…

Well, Tom Hanks is on the property 🙂

Is that poor devil at CDG (on whom this movie is loosely based on) still stranded there?

Yep several stories like this at CDG.
Some areas of the Terminal are considered as “International territory” as are the “International Waters”. Pretty weird !

I think the answer is quite straightforward. Even if you’re airside, you’re bound by the laws of the jurisdiction in which you’re physically located. Eg: someone transiting through the UK could be charged under the UK anti-terrorist laws. Likewise, if you’re transiting through a country and buy a cup of coffee you’ll pay local tax on it. You might not have cleared immigration, but you’re definitely in the country.

Oh.

Maybe he’s a keen plane spotter. 😉

Is that poor devil at CDG (on whom this movie is loosely based on) still stranded there?

He’s not stranded anymore. He was told he could go home again on a flight of his choosing but he apparently decided to stay and tell his story to anyone who would listen

Is that poor devil at CDG (on whom this movie is loosely based on) still stranded there?

Inspired the new Tom Hanks film, The Terminal, I was wondering about jurisdictional boundaries that apply in International airports. Before you actually pass through immigration control and officially enter the country you have landed in, where are you exactly?

In the film, Tom Hanks’ character no longer has a valid passport and visa when he enters the US, as his country has officially ceased to exist due to war. A a guard says to him “Beyond those doors is American soil. You can’t leave the terminal”.

I was wondering about this whole terminal business. :confused:

This kind of thing is confusing.

I generally refer to international airports as a kind of no-mans land in terms of people in transit