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Comment by CydeWeys | Hacker News Reader

I've never understood why other countries have the exit controls. What is the point?

The second "stamp" allows them to track how long you were in the country and which country to left through (which may not check on exit either). For visas (especially EU) this is a big deal, because you (as a US citizen) are not required to apply for a short term business/tourist visa, but you can't stay more than 30days. If you exit through the UK, however, you may not receive the exit stamp (e.g. EuroStar). They may then deny you re-entry due to the apparent violation.

I think the Eurostar is the only port of exit in the U.K. where I _have_ had my passport checked - at least at my airport, exit passport checks are only random

I've had mine checked every time I've been on a ferry, and every time I'm taken a plane.

I can't think of any other ways to leave the UK than by boat, train, and aeroplane, and I've been checked at all of them.

By airline/train or UKBF staff? There’s a difference as airport staff won’t check visa validity etc or do the entry checks that are the subject of this chain.

UKBF checks passports on departure at the Eurostar. At manchester airport at least, there are no routine outbound passport checks by UKBF

No, that's actually French border control. On the Eurostar, you clear the destination border when you check in, so that when you arrive you simply walk out.

You pass both, there are two desks. U.K. border first, then European

Not on the way out. Just Schengen checks in London (same on eurotunnel). And those stupid security checks.

On travelling to the continent by boat (hook of holland) checks at the far end. Eurostar checks at re near end. Flying checks at the far end.

The limit for the US (and most other Western non-EU nationals) within Schengen is 90 within 180. Neither the UK nor Ireland are part of that area.

I got into a bit of trouble once in a flight to Switzerland before it was in the shengen. I took the train into Italy, flew from Italy to Berlin, and on the flight back, the exit visa agents wanted to know why I didn’t have an entry stamp (they do random checks on the train, so no stamp).

If you Eurostar out from schengen to the UK, you pass through schengen exit check, then a few yards later Uk entry check.

I assume that Americans get exit stamps at the first check. Most countries that stamp passports give entry and exit stamps, whether you have a visa or not. More and more counties rely on computers to keep track of you though - Israel used to stamp you at Tel Aviv, now you get a piece of paper that you return on exit (you still et stamped at Erez when going in/out of Gaza). In 2015 Australia stamped when you use the manual system, but not the automatic system. I don't recall if the US stamped my passport last time on the way in, I don't think Canada did. Hong Kong stopped in 2013 I think.

It's a shame, I like stamps. Plenty of them at Lagos last month though - 2 stamps on the way in, 2 on the way out, as well as the full page visa.

Catching wanted criminals and suspects as they try to leave the country. Flagging people who have overstayed their visa when they try to leave so that they can't come back. If someone tries to leave on a stolen or fake passport, it is cheaper to catch it before they exit than when they try to enter somewhere else.

They do that in Panama. (They even do intracontry travel id checks) Apparently they've had issues with criminals coming in and hiding in the jungles)

Criminals in Panama typically hide in Parliament. They're even passing laws to ensure they can't be prosecuted for their crimes by creatively changing the statue of limitations. They make Romania look good.

I can see the "before they leave the country" part. This isn't as big of problem in the US as we only have land borders with two countries, and those borders are far away from most people. If the police are looking for you they can find you when you book/board a flight out of the US, even without exit controls. Heck, they're likely sharing that list of people of interest with Canada and Mexico so that they can be caught by the entrance controls at those land crossings.

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