Can you travel to Europe with a criminal record?
Indice
The purpose of this article is to clarify whether you can travel with a criminal record. Well, the initial answer is yes, but it depends a lot on the country you are traveling to. Generally, each country applies its own immigration policies with their respective restrictions. In this sense, some countries are more restrictive than others. Therefore, if this is your case and you are wondering which countries you can travel to with a criminal record then this article is for you.
It is very important to understand that the authorities of a country are fully entitled to admit or not an individual into their territory. Even if it is someone who meets all the requirements and criteria for entry into a country, the border authorities can still end up denying them entry if they deem so.
Generally, tourists who want to visit Europe for short stays (especially those coming from visa-exempt countries) will not be exposed to a criminal background check. However, if a border official asks you any questions in this regard, it is very important to always tell the truth as the consequences of lying in situations like this will be very serious.
Can you travel by plane with a criminal record?
On September 11, once the rescued people had been transferred to the ship Mare Jonio, the migrants were disembarked in the port of Pozzallo (Sicily), about 30 kilometers from the city of Ragusa. Newspapers across Europe reported on the intervention of the Mare Jonio, and UNHCR (the United Nations refugee agency) praised Italy for “welcoming” some “extremely vulnerable people” and “putting an end to a five-week humanitarian crisis, demonstrating once again its human face in accordance with the letter and spirit of international law. With the hope that it can be an example for other European states”.
In addition to Casarini, the president of Idra Social Shipping and social worker originally from Trieste, Alessandro Metz; vice-president Beppe Caccia, an academic and former Venice city councilor; and the ship’s captain, Pietro Marrone, are under investigation. Casarini, Metz and Caccia are also among the founders of the Mediterranea association. The Ragusa Prosecutor’s Office specified that the Mediterranea association is not involved, but “could even be an injured party”.
A person with a criminal record may leave the country
The European Arrest Warrant (hereinafter referred to as “EAW”) is a simplified, cross-border judicial procedure for surrender for the purpose of prosecution or execution of a custodial sentence or detention order. EAWs issued by the judicial authorities of any EU country are valid throughout the EU. The EAW has been in operation since January 1, 2004. It has replaced the lengthy extradition procedures that used to exist between EU countries.
It is a request by a judicial authority in one EU country for a person to be arrested in another and surrendered for prosecution, or for the enforcement of a custodial sentence or detention order in the first country. The mechanism is based on the principle of mutual recognition of judicial decisions. It is operational in all EU countries
When executing EAWs, the authorities must respect the procedural rights of suspects or accused persons, such as the right to information, to have the assistance of a lawyer and an interpreter and to free legal aid, in accordance with the legal system of the country in which they are arrested.
A person with a criminal record may travel to the United States.
As a general rule, a criminal record is temporary, i.e., it can be expunged after a certain period of time and in conjunction with other requirements. The time that must elapse before the record is expunged generally depends on the type of offense, whether it is minor or serious, for example.
The second feature is that only those facts that are declared in a final court judgment issued in the field of criminal jurisdiction may be entered in the criminal record. This means that it is not possible to register convictions handed down in other jurisdictional areas, even if they are of a punitive nature, such as administrative sanctions or pecuniary sentences handed down in the civil sphere.
The police would also have access to criminal records, being necessary to differentiate it from police records, which would be those collected by the police forces during the investigation of alleged criminal acts and prior to judicial intervention.