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M. A, a non-EU tourist, takes a flight from a small airport in the Schengen Area to the UK (non-Schengen). After going through securiy, they find the passport control booth closed and the door to the non-Schengen gates wide open.

Which they, along with all the other passengers, cross into the non-Schengen part of the airport unimpeded

Are there any precautions that M. A should take to prevent issues on further Schengen Area visit?

this is from a real life situation, though M. A in the real case is a EU citizen

Relaxed
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Nicolas Formichella
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1 Answers1

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The situation you are describing is actually foreseen in the Schengen border code. There can be many reasons why an exit control is not conducted, either by mistake or on purpose. The passenger is in such cases expected to keep reasonable proof of leaving the Schengen area. That can be tickets or boarding passes or if the country you are travelling to gives you an entry stamp (UK does not, I believe), that can also be used to show that you have and when you have left the Schengen area.

And such mistakes do happen. I have experienced myself in Germany, when arriving on an intra-schengen flight, that the immigration booths at my gate were staffed, causing a lot of confusion. Noone expected it and few passengers had their documents readily available. At the same time, a flight from Turkey arrived at the neighbouring gate with no immigration control. The mistake was noticed though and after some fuzz and leading confused passengers back and forth, I think the German police eventually managed to do their job.

Tor-Einar Jarnbjo
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