US trip baby ‘interrogated’ after slip up
AGRANDAD says US embassy officials summoned his BABY grandson for an interview after he accidentally ticked a box stating the tot’s reason for travelling to Florida was ‘terrorism’.
Paul Kenyon, 62, was taking Harvey away on his first foreign trip to Orlando with his family but made an error on the ESTA form, which must be filled out by international travellers into the States.
Paul unwittingly ticked yes to the question: ‘Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?’ on Harvey’s form.
Paul says it resulted in baby Harvey being summoned to the US embassy in London for an interview.
Factory owner Paul, from Poynton, was heading to his villa in Orlando with his wife Cathy, 57, his daughter Faye, 27, her partner Jon Cairns, 31, and their eldest Ava, aged three, along with baby Harvey.
Paul, who runs his Clingfoil business from Poynton, said: “I had filled in the first five forms all correctly, but it was taking some time. I had no idea I had made a mistake on the baby’s form until Harvey’s travel was refused to the USA. I couldn’t believe they couldn’t see it was a genuine mistake and that a three-month-old baby would be no harm to anyone.
“Harvey was even summoned down for an inter- view to the US Embassy. I really couldn’t believe it. I went down with him and his mum and took him in for the interview, but he can’t even speak as he’s so young. Sadly the visa didn’t come in time, so half of us went and baby Harvey came a couple of days later with his parents and the whole sorry business cost me an extra £3,000.
“It was a very expensive mistake, but I was hoping the US embassy would realise it was just a simple error without us having to jump through all the hoops. If you are a terrorist - I suspect you’d not be ticking YES on the ESTA form anyway.”
Paul added: “Baby Harvey was good as gold for the interview and never cried once – I thought about tak- ing him along in an orange jumpsuit, but thought better of it.
“They didn’t appear to have a sense of humour over it at all and couldn’t see the funny side.
Harvey’s trip to the embassy at London’s Grosvenor Square for his interview took around 10 hours there and back – the flight time from Manchester to Orlando is nine hours and 30 minutes.
All eligible international travellers who wish to travel to the United States under the visa waiver programme must apply for authorisation under the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation.
We have contacted the US Embassy in London for a comment.