Mailing List Archive

The question regards customs. In the event that people don't clear customs, or if customs delays them for a couple hours, will the ground team have plans in place to handle that?


----- Original Message ----
From: Delphine Ménard <notafishz@gmail.com>
To: Wikimania general list (open subscription) <wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 9, 2008 1:48:30 AM
Subject: Re: [Wikimania-l] Questions about how to start - customs

On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 08:42, Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Actually, I have another question for the organizing team. Are provisions in
> place in the event of people not getting through customs?

Can you be a little more specific? I am not sure I understand your question.

Delphine
(PS changing the subject for clarity)
--
~notafish

NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. For Wikimedia
related correspondence, use my dmenard(at)wikimedia(point)org address.
Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org

_______________________________________________
Wikimania-l mailing list
Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 10:47 PM, Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd@yahoo.com> wrote:
> The question regards customs. In the event that people don't clear customs,
> or if customs delays them for a couple hours, will the ground team have
> plans in place to handle that?

Handle what?

In the event that you're refused entry into Egypt, there's not a whole
lot anyone can do about that. If you're delayed "a couple hours," you
may just miss the free shuttle.

However good the organization team may be, it's not their
responsibility to hold every attendee's hand through every step of the
process. International travel is serious business, and you should
plan for the possibility that everything doesn't go like clockwork.
Your plane may be delayed, you may get stopped at customs, your taxi
might get a flat tire—that's just how it goes. I wish everyone the
best, but I also expect that they can handle life like grown-ups in
the event that the unexpected does happen.

(Although I assume your question is rhetorical, since you don't appear
to be registered to attend.)

Austin
_______________________________________________
Wikimania-l mailing list
Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

I was just curious as to whether or not people will be available to assist through customs.


----- Original Message ----
From: Austin Hair <adhair@gmail.com>
To: Wikimania general list (open subscription) <wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 9, 2008 9:10:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Wikimania-l] Questions about how to start - customs

On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 10:47 PM, Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd@yahoo.com> wrote:
> The question regards customs. In the event that people don't clear customs,
> or if customs delays them for a couple hours, will the ground team have
> plans in place to handle that?

Handle what?

In the event that you're refused entry into Egypt, there's not a whole
lot anyone can do about that. If you're delayed "a couple hours," you
may just miss the free shuttle.

However good the organization team may be, it's not their
responsibility to hold every attendee's hand through every step of the
process. International travel is serious business, and you should
plan for the possibility that everything doesn't go like clockwork.
Your plane may be delayed, you may get stopped at customs, your taxi
might get a flat tire—that's just how it goes. I wish everyone the
best, but I also expect that they can handle life like grown-ups in
the event that the unexpected does happen.

(Although I assume your question is rhetorical, since you don't appear
to be registered to attend.)

Austin
_______________________________________________
Wikimania-l mailing list
Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l

I believe you meant immigration and not customs.

As far as I know, the WMF is providing assistance to the attendees by
sending out a letter of invitation, which they can annex to their
applications to the respective Egyptian consulates / missions in their
country. This allows for smooth visa processing and clearance. Since Egypt
is a country that largely depends on tourism as a major source of its
revenues, there will hardly be any problems for the tourists at the
immigration counter, unless and until there are sound intelligence or
political grounds.

In the unlikely event that a Wikimania attendee is restrained from entering
Egyptian territory, they would most likely be deported back to their
country, and there is hardly anything that a private organisation like
Wikimedia Foundation can do about it. The issue is then more diplomatic or
political, than just bureaucracy.

People with criminal records and/or unserved time or liability in certain
jurisdictions are most likely to stay away by their own understanding.

Hope that helped.

Best wishes,

--Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington

On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 10:20 AM, Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd@yahoo.com>
wrote:

> I was just curious as to whether or not people will be available to assist
> through customs.
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Austin Hair <adhair@gmail.com>
> To: Wikimania general list (open subscription) <
> wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 9, 2008 9:10:04 PM
> Subject: Re: [Wikimania-l] Questions about how to start - customs
>
> On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 10:47 PM, Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> > The question regards customs. In the event that people don't clear
> customs,
> > or if customs delays them for a couple hours, will the ground team have
> > plans in place to handle that?
>
> Handle what?
>
> In the event that you're refused entry into Egypt, there's not a whole
> lot anyone can do about that. If you're delayed "a couple hours," you
> may just miss the free shuttle.
>
> However good the organization team may be, it's not their
> responsibility to hold every attendee's hand through every step of the
> process. International travel is serious business, and you should
> plan for the possibility that everything doesn't go like clockwork.
> Your plane may be delayed, you may get stopped at customs, your taxi
> might get a flat tire—that's just how it goes. I wish everyone the
> best, but I also expect that they can handle life like grown-ups in
> the event that the unexpected does happen.
>
> (Although I assume your question is rhetorical, since you don't appear
> to be registered to attend.)
>
> Austin
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimania-l mailing list
> Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimania-l mailing list
> Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>
>

Anirudh Bhati wrote:
> As far as I know, the WMF is providing assistance to the attendees by
> sending out a letter of invitation, which they can annex to their
> applications to the respective Egyptian consulates / missions in their
> country. This allows for smooth visa processing and clearance. Since
> Egypt is a country that largely depends on tourism as a major source
> of its revenues, there will hardly be any problems for the tourists at
> the immigration counter, unless and until there are sound intelligence
> or political grounds.
>
> In the unlikely event that a Wikimania attendee is restrained from
> entering Egyptian territory, they would most likely be deported back
> to their country, and there is hardly anything that a private
> organisation like Wikimedia Foundation can do about it. The issue is
> then more diplomatic or political, than just bureaucracy.
>
Also, the major airlines do a certain amount of pre-screening. When
they bring an inadmissible person they are the ones stuck with the costs
of getting that person back to where he came from.

Ec

_______________________________________________
Wikimania-l mailing list
Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l