There is a picture-perfect serenity about the many streets off Dublin’s Merrion Road. Along their magnificent tree-lined avenues, loom in immaculate silence and inherent authority the buildings of many foreign embassies in Ireland.
Vehicles are rare, people even rarer and the air treads carefully in perfect decorum of a place of such obvious eminence. But every once in a while, this sight is spoilt.
Quite unbecomingly, at the gate of any one of these embassy buildings, a few ignorant people gather. Maybe a Filipino nurse, a Sikh restaurateur, a Pakistani student, perhaps an Algerian housewife and a few more. They stand there awkwardly, half ashamed, half apologetic, clutching at their folders and files, at the metal gates with all the electronic gadgets like cameras and metal detectors. They stand there confused. There are no instructions at the gate, no sign of any official person or movement beyond the metal barriers. If anyone has taken notice of them through the CCTV, they have chosen to put off responding. It’s nothing requiring immediate attention, only part of the drab routine. More people looking for visas.
Then someone brave amongst them presses a few buttons at the gate, hits upon an inconspicuous buzzer. After a few moments comes a voice. Okay, all right, they are now ready to allow people in, one at a time.
Most of these awkward people standing at the gate are legal residents of Ireland, working and paying tax or as students, paying exorbitant foreign national fees. They are non-EU nationals who have already gone through the rigorous visa procedures to be in Ireland in the first place. Their historical, geographical, financial and personal information is already a rightful property of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, which is free to share it with any EU embassy or office. Every measure has already been taken to ensure that they won’t become a burden on Irish public finances.
These awkward people are looking for a short term visitor’s visa to another European country; to visit an aunt in Frankfurt perhaps, or a friend in France, attend a job interview in London or maybe go for a short package holiday in Spain. Some have travelled 4-5 hours by bus from different corners of Ireland to personally submit their documents on a weekday. No applications are accepted by post.
Inside in the tiny foreign embassy office, two windows are provided, one for EU nationals and one for non EU nationals. There is no queue in front of the EU nationals’ window, and if someone happens to breeze in there, they are greeted with startling affection and light hearted banter. The membership to ‘EU nationals club’ must come with the lifetime bonus of pleasant treatment in official spaces. Because, at the neighbouring non- EU window, things are slightly different.
An Indian student and part-time supermarket attendant in Dublin wants to visit cousins in Frankfurt. Two of the most important documents that embassies of any EU country look for from non-EU nationals living in Ireland are evidence of funds to support themselves during their travels, as well as evidence of their accommodation there. This sounds quite legitimate and reasonable.
Our Indian friend has booked and pre-paid his hotel accommodation for the duration of a whole week that he plans to be in Germany. Because of course, not a day less will do, you have to show that you have booked and paid for every single night of your travel plans.
If you are a non-EU national with outrageous dreams like camping or having an unplanned fun backpacking holiday in Europe, try and fulfil them through television or magazines. The woman behind the window says to our Indian friend;
‘Can I see the evidence of your accommodation, your hotel booking reference along with the receipt of payment received by the hotel?’
‘Yes, here it is.’ ‘Okay.
But I see that the last time you visited Germany, you stayed with your cousins. Why are you choosing to stay in a hotel this time?’
‘Well, I don’t want to bother them too much’ ‘Why?’ ‘Well…I just don’t want to impose.’ ‘
But you didn’t think like that the last time?’ ‘Err.. is it wrong to stay in a hotel this time? I have even paid for it…’
‘I just find it very curious. Anyway, why are you going back to Frankfurt? What will you do when you are there?’
Obviously, invasion of privacy and questioning of matters not outlined in the visa application form are permitted and regularly used methods of visa processing. Pre-supposition of criminal intent must be mandatory as well.
This exchange of conversation also takes place very much in the presence and easy listening distance of everyone else waiting in the embassy office. After all, for a non EU national, being allowed entry in the office itself is a matter of such fortune that asking for confidentiality would be way too demanding.
Many people have reported similiarly unpleasant experiences from the German, French, Spanish and other European embassies in Ireland.Such a pity. If only U were EU, you would see what a fair, liberal and beautiful place Europe can be.
