[pp.int.general] privacy at customs on airports

[bakel362 at planet.nl]

Lately I had a discussion on the Amsterdam airport Schiphol. Unlike the US, customs also checks you if you leave the country here - but still it is a fundamental humna right to leave your country. I can even accept there is a valid reason for checking, e.g. to see whether an visa is still valid. In practice, customs mainly collect unpaid fines - which is a questionable reason for border checking imho. It makes every traveller to a suspect.
BUT then the lady asked: where are you going? I asked: is that relevant (for your decision whether I have met my obligations to leave the country) Frankly, my (final) destination was even unclear at the moment due to an overbooked connecting flight. But showing the boarding card was OK (is a boardng card a customs document??) But my very question was a reason to retain my passport, and to invoke the supervisor who told me that my behaviour was "not normal". I told him that  really was not interested i his explanation, and got my passport back after a couple of minutes.
The issue is that customs officers ("marechaussee") apparentl are not aware that they are subjects of law to, and may only ask questions strictly allowed by law and requied to perform their duties.
Talking abut privacy ...
reinier      
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