Was this really necessary France 🇫🇷?

Surely it's all to do with the fact that they (like the rest of us) are only allowed so long each year in the Schengen area, so their passports have to be stamped.
It's a real problem for some people. Our tour guide recently told us one border official started checking his passport stamps and trying to add up his times in case he'd been there too much.

These idiots check passports of serving soldiers but let in every Tom Dick and Harry that come in on a rubber dinghy. Perhaps the French don't need to check illegal immigrants records as they will ship them all off to the UK on the day they arrive.

I am reminded of a story, possibly apocryphal of an elderly American who was having trouble with an over-officious French passport control jobsworth.
"I didn't get this sort of trouble last time I came to your country, son" the American protested
"I'm sure you would have, monsieur" replied the official snootily "the regulations have always been like this, when exactly was that?"
"6 June 1944" came the reply.

My late DF was tickled pink when he and my late DM visited Arromanches some years ago, and got in for a reduced rate as he was a veteran (as was she, but the women's services maybe didn't count!). He was nowhere near Normandy in 1944, but with the Royal Navy elsewhere, but that still counted.

When they arrived in 1944 they were greeted with German bullets , so they didn’t just stroll in that day.

The women’s services certainly counted on D-Day and the run up to it. They (mostly WRNS) were heavily involved behind the scenes on the operational side, as they were, also, throughout the Battle of Britain.

MaizieD

OMG. petra followed the script!

I was just waiting for someone to say that no-one asked to see passports in 1944 🙄

Someone had to say it 🤷‍♀️

So if there were 'hundreds' of paratroopers dropping in maybe
some 'terrorist' could have infiltrated from the shore and not be noticed untill some dire act had been committed and then the
French woud be accused of poor security. There have been
alot of such attacks in France , they come in all shape and sizes.
Producing your I.D. here is not a problem but always appears
to be an affront to a British Human Right.

Was this thread really necessary.

As its one of the only threads without hashtags and promises of gold nuggets, quite possibly it was.

No. wwm, not at all.

The organisation of security alone must have been a minefield to organise never mind the practical stuff of where do people stand or sit where do they go to eat what about drinks toilets.
This was a day to remember all who sacrificed their life’s to help beat the danger that was Nazism.

I too agree that this thread undermines and devalues the sentiments that were being celebrated today.

Oreo

Maybe they thought they were illegal immigrants dropping in?
😄 I can’t see much harm in having a passport check, but yes I see your point about the MOD, they could have provided a list.

😂😂😂😂😂

Whitewavemark2

Was this thread really necessary.

No, it absolutely isn't. My father was at D Day and he would have been pretty disgusted by the underlying sentiment going on here.

Siope

So you’d be okay if a few hundred young male foreigners arrived onto British soil and were just allowed in with no checks?

We are no longer in the EU; we cannot just pop in and out as if we are.

Honestly, I sometimes wonder if you ever understood what you were actually voting for in the referendum.

"So you’d be okay if a few hundred young male foreigners arrived onto British soil and were just allowed in with no checks?" That's a holt.
D Day celebrations, commemorating the world war two personnel who died trying to save Frenchie, they call us "Brits" from the Nazis. They knew they were coming. Legitimate servicemen, passport checks. Wonder if they asked the dying men on their beaches for their passports during the war?
So Yes we're expected to allow foreign men into our country , on a daily basis, fr8m France, without even a passport between them.

save Frenchie?

Really?

I saw someone on Facebook complaining about the Froggies checking passports. Then they wonder why the French aren't always co operative.

flappergirl

Whitewavemark2

Was this thread really necessary.

No, it absolutely isn't. My father was at D Day and he would have been pretty disgusted by the underlying sentiment going on here.

I agree.
There have been some pretty shameful opinions expressed and some inappropriate turns of phrase.Can we just leave it?

So you’d be okay if a few hundred young male foreigners arrived on to British soil and were allowed in with no checks

Oh the irony! I love it.

What a shame to spoil this beautiful and poignant day of remembrance with this . Absolutely unnecessary.

They were just doing their jobs.

henetha

What a shame to spoil this beautiful and poignant day of remembrance with this . Absolutely unnecessary.

Yes. I found the whole thing very moving, and the French were nothing but respectful. Some of these comments seem to have come straight from the Farage playbook.

Dinahmo

Ladyleftfieldlover

That’s a bit harsh Siope.

No it's not.

Yes it is. As someone has now explained to the unknowing, a
passport not required ,covered by NATO. This is just a dog whistle by the French.

Let’s all blame the French eh? It’s not “ the French” by the way, it’s the French security who were hosting an enormous event with world leaders, royalty etc present. What xenophobia on this thread. Meanwhile, our PM left the event early to helicopter back for a TV interview. Respectful or what?

It did occur to me, watching the high profile " guest list" what a challenge in terms of secutity and organisation.

I often think with the RF we mere mortals don't know the half of whats going on in the background.