Absolute nightmare of an experience at Brussels airport passport control. Likely getting profiled because the birthplace on my French passport says Turkey and the chip isn’t working (which is why I was in the manual control lane to begin with).
The joys of being white passing in racist countries. You’re fine until they see you might be a bit too Brown inside.
Now sitting in a room with other Brown and Black folks, waiting (and they have my passport).
Just spoke with two women being held in the same room as me. Also of Turkish ethnicity, both Belgian citizens. Not being allowed into Belgium.
Brussels airport is racially profiling EU Citizens.
Please share widely.
Cue my white-presenting privilege and a predictably apologetic supervisor, taking me out of the room with a look of “oh, goodness, you don’t belong in there” (first experienced while entering the US, many years ago) Explained I was unlucky a plane had landed from Turkey and they saw “Ankara” as my birth place. Told him this is racial profiling and about the two young women. Promised to look into it.
Also told him “I hope you realise how horrible this feels.”
Aral Balkan
Jigme Datse