Passport Retention

If you want to visit Indonesia, you have to comply with their rules, regulations and customs.

Thanks for that piece of sage advice. I'll remember that it I ever lose my marbles and decide I want to go there.
Australia has more than enough to hold my interest without me ever wanting to visit that sheet-hole.
OBJ

Australia has more than enough to see in a lifetime, and I prefer it too OBJ. Bali is beautiful, and the Balinese are a very different race to the Indonesians. But although we see spectacular sights and meet and catch up gorgeous and gentle people and share their rich and colourful culture, it is so nice to get back and see Australia.

When our elder daughter was in high school and her proposed trip to Bali with my sister was going to overlap a week of school term due to difficulties getting school holiday flights, we went to see the Headmaster. He said emphatically students could not miss school for holidays. Where did she want to go? Bali. "Ah, the Balinese looks like he has just eaten an orange, and the Indonesian like he has just eaten a lemon. You will love it."

I think it's fantastic that you don't want to go overseas OBJ.



You would give an awful impression of what Australians can be like.

Best you stay here forever. In fact you should be banned from overseas travel. Better still.

Then you can live in your own little ignorant world, happy in the knowledge that you don't have to suffer all that the world can give.

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Obviously it's not just overseas that you leave a bad impression.

Settle down please, this isnt a place for discussion of Indo-Australian politics

I never let mine out of my sight while travelling. I had a copy if needed and handed it over to save arguments, but working for who I did, made it easy to hang on to it. Always got the copy back.

We do not have passports any more. After years travelling for work we both are convinced that Australia is where we want to spend the restof our years.
Besides Australian residents speak the same language, you can drink the water and you don't have to worry about sharks. And they have the best footy in the world anyway with the best meat pies and tomato sauce.

Phil

Vietnam usually asks you to surrender your passport if you are booked into a hotel. They just keep it onsite and hand it back once you check out (and pay them is my guess). Similar thing in Fiji is some of the places out of Suva. While working in New Guinea they wanted it, but were happy to accept a photo copy of the passport when I told them I did not want to give it up. Hard enough staying alive there without not having any ID :)
OBJ

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I thought what you put up OBJ was quite reasonable cosidering the attack on you, but thats what the gentleman in question seems to do on a regular basis.

Contrary to OBJ's comments on Vietnam requiring that you hand in our passports ....that was not our experience.

We have recently travelled there and stayed in several hotels from North to South and never were we asked to hand in our passports

WHY ! Isn't a Australian Passport good enough ? Last time I visited HK their Customs were giving the Pom's a hard time, can't understand why.

Well depending one which one you use dont ask the embassy of the other country to help if you get into trouble.

Wow, fantastic contributions guys

I do travel on my Australian Passport, if for some reason my Australian Passport is lost or damaged then at least I have the British Passport for identification and use.

I am very confident that the UK wouldn't turn its back on a British subject who is a holder of a Passport who also resides in a Commonwealth country - Australia

cheers

Australia should abolish dual citizenship once and for all.

Here here Cruiser 91.

And they should make any Australian resident who has been here more than 5 years who doesn't become exclusively an Australian Citizen, pay a 10% tax surcharge and drop welfare.

Nothing like having a each way bet. If Australia doesn't want you you can go back home. Now that is smart thinking eh ! Us blo-dy Aussies are stupid. Seeing that most of our ancestors were Convicts aren't we entitled to one also. Must write to the Brit Embassy pronto !

In answer to Boobook.

Perhaps you could go in to bat for the approx 28,000 Kiwis who live here and pay taxes and CANT GET FULL WELFARE.

We came in 2002 and can never become an Aussie Citizen under present rules. Except by qualifying under a very restrictive skills criteria and paying in excess of $3000 for the ??????privilege.

My son who is 30 if he has an accident he cant get disability payments or can never get the dole..

In complete contrast an Aussie can go to NZ and in 2 years can be a citizen with FULL ACCESS to WELFARE.

Dont talk to me about a level playing field.

Do your research before posting such erroneous statements.

And its Hear Hear From "listen up" to the Town Crier etc

This is really disappointing and bordering on being racist

I merely pointed out a possible solution for the OP if it should be open / available to them not open a platform for racist or demeaning commentary

My apologies if I offended any of you purebred, non descendants from any other country, Australians

I have only lived here for 48 years and consider this my home after moving from the UK in 1967 and being 3 years old at the time.

Again, my apologies

cheers

My comment was incorrect

I meant that if you live in one country but have a passport held of another country, dont ask your country of residence for help if in trouble overseas.

Eg Kiwis living in OZ and still only have NZ passports are not entitled to help from AUS embassies.

Sorry Cookie if any of these comments offended you ! It is apparently obvious that after 48 years you haven't learnt the Aussie way of humour. In other words " having a dig" !

Of course, as a dual citizenship holder, you should perhaps be reading really, really carefully the fine print on any proposed legislation changes currently being vaunted.

Nargun51, are you referring to the proposed changes to Dual Citizenship held by Terrorists?

I can assure you that I am not about to diminish to stability that has been my home for 48 years and what I have paid considerable taxes to help build the nation.

If I had to choose between the UK & Australia, Australia is my home & the home and birthplace of my wife & children so naturally I would defend Australia to my last breath

cheers

Don't take the comment personally.

However, as a dual citizenship holder, you surely have thought through the ramifications of the proposed legislation, even if you you are living a blameless life here and have no inclination to usurp Australian law

If you were to go before a Court in Australia, evidence, the rule of law, and the Rules of Natural Justice would no doubt protect you.

A Ministerial decision subject to the pressures of political expediency, media pressure and news cycles?

My eldest daughter has to leave the UK in 8 days as her work visa expires, however as her mother was born in an EU country, she could have applied for citizenship of that country and if granted, remained working in the UK under EU laws.

When this was mentioned a year or so ago in a Skype conversation, my mother in law mentioned that when she was finally granted her Australian Citizenship, she understood for the first time what safety felt like (she had lived under 3 political systems, had been arbitarily arrested under 2 and escaped death through good luck and a cool mind)

I think that we are very lucky to live in this country I have travelled to many other countries but always feel relaxed when I step back through Customs.

I never feel threatened by Australian Law as I believe that provided that you are a decent law abiding citizen you will never really have too many dramas.

Funny you should mention your daughter as my kids are entitled to a UK Passport given they are born from a British Subject, if they were travelling to countries that wish to retain your passport as per the OP, then I would like them to carry another just in case and I would like to think that they would receive help from either country

cheers

Contrary to a lot of people here; I have a lot of faith in Australian Law, its administration, its practitioners (not all), the judiciary, the checks and balances that exist and the Separation of Powers (all good old Common Law precedents)

That it costs so much is another story.

Politicians do not imbue me with the same sense of faith.

A politician standing in a dais with 10 Australian flags saying that Courts should be restricted in their powers and that even those powers should be devolved to a politician, who is not bound by common law precedents?

More faith in politicians than I have.

I know where your coming from about the pragmatic safety of two passports.

However, a passport also has obligations. Carry the passport and you also have the obligations.

What happens when the interests of the country whose passport you carry is not in Australia's best interests?

Interesting you should say that, I have heard a story of someone from Israel who is an Australian Citizen, holds dual citizenship, but if he were to go back to Israel he would be conscripted into the Army - as I say only heard that but it would be a very tricky situation for sure

Being that Australia is part of the same Commonwealth then I would think that both countries would on the whole share common interests.

cheers

Part of the Commonwealth sharing common interests?

Suggest you do some research of the cables between Curtin and Churchill after the Fall of Singapore and the use of Australian troops.

Cookie, please don't take my comments personally. I am referring to what I think should be the case and direct my frustration at government. While the law stands as it is people like yourself should go for it. My wife even has dual citizenship.

She would have to make a choice if the laws were ever changed too.

boobook it is hard not to take your comments personally as you have a reputation of personal comments

Oh ok, thanks for letting me know your personal opinion, err, or was that wide spread reputation?

Either way thanks. I value that you represented cookie1 in his reply to my comment - to HIM.