Africa

'Like Gestapo' – Nigerian on US Customs, United Airlines Agents, Who Allegedly Harass Africans

The US Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act obliges anyone entering or leaving America with cash to report currencies and monetary instruments whose value exceeds $10,000. According to a Nigerian scholar, the US security agents harass Africans in pursuance of the act.
Sputnik
African passengers flying to or from the US have experienced harassment from US Customs and United Airlines agents, a Nigerian-born scholar, who allegedly recently witnessed the harassment, told media.

He called Customs' treatment of Nigerian travelers "demeaning and completely unacceptable", adding that airport security agents wait for passengers on purpose so that they can single someone out and harass him or her.

"The main issue is that the security agents will wait until you are ready to board the plane, and like the Gestapo, they will come with their dogs and gloves, singling people out by psychology or looks. They pull them aside with their sniffing dogs," the witness said.

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According to the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, the US requires anyone entering or leaving the country with cash to report currencies and monetary instruments whose value is more than $10,000.

"You have money in your pocket, but you are not given a declaration form, and you are cleared to travel. This has been going on for years, and people take it for granted. We all know that you can have more than $10,000, but you have to declare it," stated the scholar.

He said that providing a currency declaration form is the responsibility of the airline, the immigration service and customs. According to him, the airline offers a form on its counters, but "in this case, United Airlines did not give Africans the opportunity to declare their currency."
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According to the scholar, it is United Airlines which is responsible for providing its passengers with the declaration form, and the airline is to blame for how customers are treated.

"We are Nigerian-Americans that are coming home to our families in Nigeria. Why are we being singled out for harassment on United Airlines? I travel with American Airlines and others, I don't face this harassment. They always have the forms waiting for you. So, United Airlines is culpable because it has a duty to provide the declaration forms to its customers," he outlined.

The Nigerian has described how badly some United Airlines' passengers were treated.

"In my own case, the plane was delayed for some of those passengers to return. They treated them like garbage – going to the Customs office, getting searched, abusing them, checking their luggage, digging through stuff, and they used insulting language," the man emphasized.

According to him, US security agents only allow such behavior against African people.
"Where in the world do you see sniffer dogs rummaging travelers for currency? [...] Their verbiage is abusive, shouting, and telling us to shut up! What! They can’t do that to any other person but Africans," he stated.
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