About 12 years ago my cousin and her husband did a "Madonna" and adopted two Ethiopian babies as she couldn't have children. Both are twins, one of each. The adoption was done carried out totally legally with the assistance of an international charity.
They live abroad as my cousin's hubby has an astonishing well paid job with an international oil company.
My elderly and very spritely aunt, who is a fantastic woman (76) jumped in the car and bundled them in and brought them over for to the UK for a couple of weeks.
We had a great time and the babies have grown to very nice teenagers (just 13).
Trouble happened at immigration on the way in, with evidence required that the kids were not being trafficked etc. They had all of the relevant documentation, parents permissions etc. but it took an hour of questioning in separate room before they were let in.
On the trip back to the continent it was worse. Child protection officers and armed police were waiting and the kids were separated from their grandmother and each other.
Aunt was on the phone desperately upset because she really thought they would take the kids away. This time they kept them questioned for six hours. The girl was the first to go stroppy, refusing to answer any questions and demanding to be given back to her grandma.
Needless to say they missed the last ferry and had to find a hotel for the night at the port.
Would you believe when they presented themselves at passport control the next morning the passport officer called his supervisor over and wanted to start the whole episode again!
A call to her son in law elicited a call from his lawyer in London and they were let through, though no apologies whatsoever.
I can understand the checks on the way in and understand the checks on the way out if they hadn't made the inward journey, but one would think that records would have been kept to indicate that all was well after the first entry and especially after the six hour exit ordeal!?
Anyway, they are all safely at home now.
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