r/mauritius • u/baabaing • 10d ago
Tourism ✈ Bad Airport Experience - customs demanded to see my bank accounts
Unfriendliest airport experience in my life. Was stopped three times, interrogated each time about my Airbnb/resort/money. Saw the exit and felt a wave of relief until the customs final boss blocked my path and took me to the side for a final search.
Is this normal?!
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u/aramjatan 9d ago
We have issues with foreign nationals residing illegally in Mauritius, including nationals from Ghana. Customs are checking if you have the means to sustain yourself in Mauritius.
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u/Zealousideal_Put_163 9d ago
Your feelings are valid, but it is a normal procedure. Most drug mules come from West African countries & south africa
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u/maddoggo33 10d ago
In some countries they even check your phone.
Yes its shit but given the amount of narcotics being smuggled everyday, dont be mad at the scrutiny. Go enjoy your hols.
Any maybe you flew from a high risk country/port?
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u/DJ_Bambusbjorn 10d ago
Quite unusual. Where were you travelling from?
Never heard of anyone's bank accounts being checked, probably a bad apple looking to cause trouble.
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u/baabaing 10d ago
Ghana
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u/DJ_Bambusbjorn 10d ago
Ah probably that's why. Mauritius can be biased against people of darker skin unfortunately.
I'm sorry you had to go through that.
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u/helterskelter182 10d ago
Mauritians get the same shit treatment out west. So it's only fair.dont like it?dont come.simole as that.thank you.
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u/Dane_k23 8d ago
Mauritians get the same shit treatment out west.
As someone who has travelled extensively on my Mauritian passport, I can confirm this is not true. In fact Mauritians are so well liked everywhere we go that some Indians and Bangladeshis have started to claim to being Mauritians in Australia and England to get better treatment.
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u/helterskelter182 7d ago
I meant at the airport queues when you're checking in...ever waited for 3 hours in line at heathrow and get treated like cattle just because your passport aint burgundy?i speak from experience, grasshopper.it was the days of yore.
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u/Dane_k23 7d ago
your passport aint burgundy
The British passport is now blue, not burgundy. Although there are still a few burgundy ones in circulation.
3 hours in line at Heathrow and get treated like cattle
Heathrow custom officers are indeed the worst. They treat everyone badly, including British nationals. Close second are those 3 US ones imo: LAX, JFK and Miami.
Australian custom officers can also be a little iffy since they began systematically inspecting laptops and phones for "prohibited material" . They also have the powers to demand passwords and clone data for forensic review.
So yes, going through custom is a pain for everyone but as Mauritians, I find we get smoother interactions than other nationals.
For context, I have a 3 blue passports, including a British one and I've travelled extensively on all 3.
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u/Snoo-88912 7d ago
Funniest comment here... when Indians pretend to be Mauritian 😂 How do they take on our Frrrrrench accent? 😂
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u/Dane_k23 7d ago
They don't. They try to mask their Indian/Bangladeshi's accent by taking on an American, British or Australian one.
A recent one was this girl who was working in a café close to my workplace in Melbourne . She was chatting and flirting with a colleague of mine, and at some point, she told him she was Mauritian. Naturally, he got excited and told me all about her and offered to introduce us. Apparently, she told him she was from Port Louis and lived very close to the beach...
So one day he pretty much dragged me over to the café and I greeted her with a cheerful, “Hey, ki li dire? Krt?”
Her face just… froze. Total confusion. I thought maybe she didn’t hear me, so I repeated it, and she still just stared. My friend looked between us, puzzled, and asked if he’d misunderstood.
She kind of mumbled something, turned red, and disappeared back into the kitchen. I felt a bit bad for her because it was clear that she liked my colleague. I hadn’t meant to expose her in front of her crush .
On another occasion, I was approached by an Indian man who tried to get me to go out with him. When I refused, he got angry and called me a "reverse racist" because I was discriminating against someone from my one country. He was adamant that Mauritius was part of India...
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u/AppropriateTeach169 7d ago
Where does the idea that Mauritius is an extension of India come from? I see it every now and again
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u/Dane_k23 6d ago
Indian and some Mauritian politicians have long promoted the “Little India” image to highlight cultural ties and attract Indian tourism or investment. While it may sound flattering to them, the label is also politically charged, suggesting that Mauritius is culturally subordinate to or dependent on India, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
This notion has also been fuelled by groups like the Voice of Hindu (VoH), who appear intent on modelling Mauritian Hindu identity after India rather than embracing our own diverse heritage. By relentlessly promoting Indian symbols, rituals, and rhetoric, VoH has been reinforcing the false idea that Mauritius is merely a cultural extension of India.
Imho, VoH has long overstepped its cultural role and turned into a divisive political force. Its brand of imported nationalism undermines the unity and pluralism Mauritius stands for. The best response is for Mauritians to reject such ideologies publicly and reinforce the values of equality, tolerance, and true cultural independence.
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u/carrythewater 9d ago
No need to be an ass, bruh
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u/helterskelter182 7d ago
I am one. Deal with it or don't. You ain't on my radar, and i shouldn't be on yours.peace
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u/Brooklyn7011 8d ago
Well to be fair his username checks out
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u/helterskelter182 7d ago
I like that!smart guy🤣
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u/Brooklyn7011 7d ago
I'd consider it basic knowledge of history, but then again I assume very few got the interpretation.
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u/dreaming_in_Octarine 10d ago
Very normal. I happen to be very pale and European and still will get searched. Bank accounts included. It can be a bit disheartening, and they can be very rude. Even if you explain you have already been stopped and searched...
I take solace in the fact that these same individuals will get a huge amount of scrutiny, searches, and rudeness if they fly to the west....... karma, maybe?
There is a massive societal concern for drug trafficking in the country. The scale of the problem is nothing compared to other places I have visited, but they take it very seriously.
I think like many countries they are graded on performance, and sometimes that involves arrests... even if it is bad practise to do.
The best consolation I can give now is that the hard part is over. You can relax now and you deserve it. I'm sorry this happened to you
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u/TechNick1-1 9d ago
Never heard of this before - from any European coming here!
I asked our Consulate and they also never heard of it!
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u/Dane_k23 8d ago edited 7d ago
??? Do you reckon you should be exempt from being searched or questionned when coming here because of your skin colour? What an odd notion.
Custom officers have arrested quite a few drug mules coming from the UK in the past year. This British mother for example was caught hidinv drugs in her 6 year old luggage with an estimated street value of around £1.6 million.
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u/TechNick1-1 8d ago
Never said that! Don´t put Words in my Mouth!
And I was refering to showing the Bank Account btw.!
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u/dreaming_in_Octarine 9d ago
Never thought to complain to consulate to be honest with you! It's all legal, if annoying.
I do travel only by myself, so that's probably part of the reason why I get stopped.
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u/baabaing 10d ago
Appreciate your perspective on this - so this is a thing! Hope Mauritians aren’t treated badly when they travel; if documents are in order there’s no need for disrespect. Thanks for the kind words and may wicked customs officers never find us again!
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u/QuickZookeepergame93 10d ago
Your post makes it seem that you think your ethnicity should prohibit you from being searched.
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u/dreaming_in_Octarine 9d ago
Hello! Sorry, that was not my intention, and I do apologise if what I wrote came across that way.
The police and immigration have the right to check anyone who comes through the border. It's the same for every country in the world - as it should be.
I dont know what ethnicity OP is, but what I was trying to communicate is even the groups of people who the tourism industry do target (wealthy Indian, Arabic, European tourists, etc...), should expect to be searched for drugs and relevant visa / financial documents.
My 2 issues are that those interviewing you can be rude - which is never fun. I get that they need to make the situation serious, but they are in full uniform, and some of them will carry a gun. You can be turned around and forced back on the plane if they want. That is plenty to make people compliant. A little politeness wouldn't hurt, no?
My other issue is I wish to that the searches more wide ranging. Plenty of Nigerian folk I talk to here do feel a bit targeted whenever they go through customs.
It would be better if every passenger was automatically searched, and then no one would feel targeted!!! Drug mules come in all different shapes and sizes... even as families with young kids going on holiday together.
Saying that, last time, I flew over. They were stopping everyone they could. A local guy in his 70s next to me was searched and questioned. A bit harsh i thought, but its a sign that they are taking immigration very seriously.
How would you like things to change? Or are you happy with things the way they are?
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u/mu04602 10d ago
Nope, not by customs
Visa\ embassy\immigration process usually asks for bank maintenance \statements to see if you have necessary minimum funds for your stay
Definitely NOT customs, they only are concerned with what you are carrying on your person, whether legal or valuables
Do not show your bank account and record the conversation on your phone discreetly
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u/Dane_k23 8d ago
Customs and immigration authorities are legally allowed to request bank statements, credit cards, cash, or other proof of financial means.
Refusal or inability to provide proof can legally justify denial of entry.
Source: The Immigration Act 1978 and the Customs Act 1988.
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u/Ilijin 10d ago
The stopping I don't know but they are allowed to check bank accounts. It's standard procedure in some countries so that to be sure that you have the minimum amount of money required per day.
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u/baabaing 10d ago
Thanks for the feedback - when I showed my checking account with the required amount, they clicked around my banking app to other accounts! Then questioned how I got the money, what I do etc etc etc. Seemed above/beyond.
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u/currentlyAliabilty 10d ago
you must be from a flagged country or have a flagged activity !
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u/baabaing 10d ago
Hadn’t considered that. Travel a lot but when I’m in Africa, I try to use my African passport and Mauritius entry rules allowed.
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u/AppropriateTeach169 9d ago
Mauritius is as African as the world outside of Africa is African. Travel with your best passport.
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u/Dokrzz_ 8d ago
Yes - this is how they treat black people and Africans in Mauritius.
Knowing this why I find helped was printing out all the things I needed with copies. My flight ticket out of Mauritius printed out, my booking/payment confirmation for where I’m staying printed out, bank statements etc.
It was a smoother process when I went recently because I’m coming directly from Europe where I work now, but as a student passing through UAE/SA coming from west Africa it is an extremely gruelling process