The Immigration Experience

Living as an American Expat in a foreign country has opened up my eyes to many experiences. Some good, some bad, but all educational. Most of all, it has allowed me to empathize with those who have experienced this when trying to come to my country. The land of opportunity.

When moving to Denmark two years ago the immigration process was pretty straightforward and fairly easy. The longest wait at the immigration office was our very first visit submitting my application to enter the country, and it was only for a couple of hours if I remember correctly. After I was approved, I had to go back to the immigration office and receive a stamp in my passport indicating my temporary residency status. I was given instructions to go wait in a certain line so that it wouldn't take very long and I remember being in and out in 30 minutes on my second visit.

However, after applying for a renewal of this residency in early May, I am still waiting for the approval in July. My temporary residency expired June 26, 2011. Since it is summer and I have travels planned, and since the stamp that once allowed me back into the country has now expired, I had to go back to the immigration office and get a temporary stamp that would allow me back in the country, while I wait for my residency to be renewed. This time, this visit, was far different than any I have experienced before.

The immigration office opens at 8:30am and you have to take a number to wait your turn to be called. On the website it indicated the doors open at 8am so you can pull a number and be first in line once the office opens, which was my intention on the day I planned to go. However, it took me longer to get there than I had intended and I arrived at 8:30am instead of 8 and took my number. Which was already 111... and the office had just opened. After talking to several people I found out the doors open as early as 7am, and even at that time the person I talked to was only able to pull number 14. At 8am, when the doors are supposed to open and number taking is supposed to begin for the very first time, the number pulled was 58.

When I realized it would take me close to 3 hours I was immediately impatient, thinking there had to be another way. Surely, a temporary travel stamp for someone who was already approved to be in the country shouldn't take that long. I looked around, heard an announcement in Danish about people who only needed a residency renewal card should go to line 2, so I waited in line to see if that was me. Afterall, once my residency was renewed I would get a card, and not have to worry about the stamp in my passport business anymore. After waiting in a relatively short line for 45 minutes, I was turned away, and told to get back in the regular line, like everybody else. Which essentially meant take a seat and wait for your number to be called. My fighting spirit had been diminished and I succumbed to my fate. I was patient up until about hour 3, as that was the amount of time the office counter had indicated it would take me to get through given my time of arrival. How mistaken they were.

5 hours later, my number was finally called. Long after my friend Beth who was there to give me company (while we were supposed to be celebrating our last day in Denmark together) had gone home for some lunch. My number was also called an hour or so after they had locked the front doors so no new people could get in. Which meant if you went outside to get some air you were locked out, unless someone let you in at the exit. Air being the operative word. There were no windows or fans, and it was a hot sunny day. We were left breathing the same stale air which became filled with body odor as the day wore on.

My final thoughts of the day and the entire experience was that of Ellis Island. I wondered how long they had to wait after a long journey by boat across the Atlantic....in the 1800's. And then my thoughts moved to cattle. It felt like we were trapped and in cages, just like animals. No sunlight or fresh air. My rage was in-explainable. So much so, I couldn't even talk to my husband after the experience. I needed to calm down before I shared any words with him. Amazingly enough, after a walk to clear my head, lunch with my friend Beth, and a glass of wine to finally celebrate our last day in DK, the anger had subsided and I was just grateful to be done with it. I can finally travel now and enjoy my summer, while I wait for immigration to make a decision on whether Denmark will allow me to live in their country for another two years.