Turned Away by Customs?

[Mark1977]

What happens if you sail into to a port and fail to clear customs? What if you need fuel, water, food ect...? Will you be aloud to get what you need?

I know a while back a 76 year old gentleman came to Halifax, where he owns a house as well, and has been coming for 26 years. This time they happen to check him out a little better and found he had some sort of criminal record from years ago. Customs did not allow him to stay and sent him back on the next flight back to the U.S .
What are the rules for this and has this happened to anyone ?
I know the same laws and rules apply to sailing vessels too, but it is a different story if you need supplies.

[Unicorn Dreams]

I forgot the proper term, but you will e allowed a short period of time to repairs and to re-provision.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Mark1977

What happens if you sail into to a port and fail to clear customs? What if you need fuel, water, food ect...? Will you be aloud to get what you need?

I know a while back a 76 year old gentleman came to Halifax, where he owns a house as well, and has been coming for 26 years. This time they happen to check him out a little better and found he had some sort of criminal record from years ago. Customs did not allow him to stay and sent him back on the next flight back to the U.S .
What are the rules for this and has this happened to anyone ?
I know the same laws and rules apply to sailing vessels too, but it is a different story if you need supplies.

was he a war criminal?

[Unicorn Dreams]

Canada does not like people with records at all

[Mark1977]

Originally Posted by atoll

was he a war criminal?

I don't think so. I think it was drinking and driving from 20 something years prior. He and his wife own a house here in mahone bay and have been coming here with no problem for 26 years.

[Rex Delay]

There is obviously way more to the story than is posted. A twenty year old driving charge will not get you kicked out of here.

[Mark1977]

I just used what i could remember from the story as an example. Does anyone have any info on the question? I was just reading another thread on how discussions go from one topic to the next...ROFL

check out suggested conduct?

[atoll]

obeying the laws of what ever country you visit ie:checking in is going to give you at least a chance of a good reception.
failing to check in is just plain bad manners and puts you on the other side of the law.
ive sailed into countries where none of us had visas for,and gone direct to customs explained our situation and more often than not been welcomed with open arms,visas waived etc even been given free docking in customs area!!!

at the end of the day people are people and have to be seen to be doing their job.........MAKE MY DAY......do it in a good way or bad way the out comes are either posative or negative,why break the law when on innocent passage.......

[captainKJ]

Paris Hilton Detained in Japan Over Cocaine Case | TMZ.com

paris hilton was detained at japan when she was accused of cocaine possession in the United States,,other countries you visit do check your background in your home country...a DWI in england can show up in the United States data base

[Bash]

there are immigration law firms that can assist with these matters in terms of waivers.

My understanding is that there is a whole class of offenses that come under the broad category of "moral turpitude" that can cause entry to be denied across USA/Canada borders. These include dealing in drugs, prostitution, et cetera.

[pressuredrop]

is a misdemeanor maryjane possesion charge going to cause all kinds of trouble when i go cruising? guess ill expect to be searched very thoroughly

[atoll]

sorry are we confusing immigration laws with customs laws here?
the post was about being denied entry by customs.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by pressuredrop

is a misdemeanor maryjane possesion charge going to cause all kinds of trouble when i go cruising? guess ill expect to be searched very thoroughly

I am no lawyer, just an educator who travels internationally with students on a regular basis.

As I understand it, the problem is how much of a controlled substance you've been arrested with. If it's over a certain minimum, you're no longer considered a casual user, but rather a dealer, even if you were planning to use the substance yourself.

When people are denied entry by an immigrations official (not customs, technically) it's not because they possessed the substance, but because they possessed too much of it.

Again, talk to a lawyer. Sometimes it's possible to expunge your record.

[Boomp]

Being refused entry [by customs] has to do with the homeland security act and an agreement the US has with Canada and sharing crimminal records. If upon checking your information via computers, they find you have a dui conviction you will be denied entry into Canada. There is a lot of information on the web about this and many horror stories of people with very old convictions who have even been brought in from the boat to the entry exit point on land and sent back. Of course the US does not enforce these rules on Canadians?. There are arrangement$ with Canadian lawyer$ to get waivers. The amount you have to pay is connected with the how recent the conviction is and whether there was more than one conviction. Big Brother is alive and well...

[spostamento nobile]

Always check first is the best answer. Relying on a maybe when coming in off open water sucks.