A bombing in the Middle East, a landslide in Myanmar or a forest fire in Latin America are some of those events which one reads about in the news but never imagine will directly concern them.
In like manner, I have heard of experiences of foreigners in the Schengen zone who have been randomly stopped by the police to determine their immigration status but for some reason, I never thought that such will happen to me.

I am a student in Lithuania and last month I travelled to Hungary where I spent 5 days in Budapest and 3 days in Nyíregyháza – a small city, North-West of Hungary. Except for some gypsies and a few tanned Europeans, I was the only coloured person there and that naturally attracted a side glance or two. Nevertheless, I was surprised when at 10.20pm on my way to the McDonald’s, a police car pulled up beside me. I have seen several stories of police brutality especially against coloured people on Facebook, so I was naturally alarmed and my mind ran through a dozen scenarios of what could possibly happen. Three cops came out of the car and one of them said to me ‘passport please’. Well, I was on a casual trip to the McDonald’s at night and did not think to have my passport with me, as a matter of fact, I almost never do, except I need it for a specific reason, a passport is too valuable an item to carry around. I was slightly annoyed that I was halted just for my passport and I told them that it was in my hotel which was just around the corner. The cop talks over the walkie-talkie briefly and asks me to get into the car so that we can go to the hotel and get my passport. They could not speak fluent English but the instruction was clear: ‘Passport’, ‘car’, ‘hotel’. Never in my life have I been in a police car so my reluctance and extreme distaste can be imagined and perhaps tolerated, I calmly told them that I had no interest in getting into the car, but at night, with the language barrier, 3 white cops and one black boy, I reconsidered my position and got in. We drove to the hotel where I got my passport from my luggage and handed it over to the cops. They wrote down my full name and ran my data through some sort of hand held device and after 10 agonizing minutes in which I am inwardly furious, my passport is returned to me and the lead cop with some gestures imply that I should always have my passport while in Hungary. The ordeal was over at about 10.45pm and I had to forget about the burger because I wouldn’t make it to the McDonald’s on time and I was too pissed to think of asking the police to give me a ride
Herein is the question. As a resident of a Schengen state, should I always have my passport when walking on the streets of Schengen member states and is it legal for the police to randomly ask to see my passport? Is it right for the police to ask about the immigration status of an immigrant?
I have made some research, discussed with some colleagues and the specialists at my university and arrived at the following conclusions:

1.One should always have an identity document for security reasons – in this case, the passport. I had my Lithuanian student card
but it was insufficient as an ID because I was in Hungary.

2.The laws vary across Schengen member states but apparently, police checks do happen thus the need for one especially a third
world national to always have their passport or resident card.

In practice, it is not necessary to always have your passport if you are in big cities because there is A TON of foreigners for example in Budapest, and it is impractical for the police to try to find illegal residents in this way I guess. So it might be just fine to leave the passport at your hotel. But for small cities such as Nyíregyháza where there are few foreigners and coloured people are a rarity, it is helpful to have your passport on your person at all times if you don’t want to miss that burger.

It would be great to have more experienced travellers share their insight

Nice info bro...
I'm planning on going to Czech republic in January
Is there racism in schengen zones.
When you buy things and ask people for direction do they become racist?

Artorius:
A bombing in the Middle East, a landslide in Myanmar or a forest fire in Latin America are some of those events which one reads about in the news but never imagine will directly concern them.
In like manner, I have heard of experiences of foreigners in the Schengen zone who have been randomly stopped by the police to determine their immigration status but for some reason, I never thought that such will happen to me.

I am a student in Lithuania and last month I travelled to Hungary where I spent 5 days in Budapest and 3 days in Nyíregyháza – a small city, North-West of Hungary. Except for some gypsies and a few tanned Europeans, I was the only coloured person there and that naturally attracted a side glance or two. Nevertheless, I was surprised when at 10.20pm on my way to the McDonald’s, a police car pulled up beside me. I have seen several stories of police brutality especially against coloured people on Facebook, so I was naturally alarmed and my mind ran through a dozen scenarios of what could possibly happen. Three cops came out of the car and one of them said to me ‘passport please’. Well, I was on a casual trip to the McDonald’s at night and did not think to have my passport with me, as a matter of fact, I almost never do, except I need it for a specific reason, a passport is too valuable an item to carry around. I was slightly annoyed that I was halted just for my passport and I told them that it was in my hotel which was just around the corner. The cop talks over the walkie-talkie briefly and asks me to get into the car so that we can go to the hotel and get my passport. They could not speak fluent English but the instruction was clear: ‘Passport’, ‘car’, ‘hotel’. Never in my life have I been in a police car so my reluctance and extreme distaste can be imagined and perhaps tolerated, I calmly told them that I had no interest in getting into the car, but at night, with the language barrier, 3 white cops and one black boy, I reconsidered my position and got in. We drove to the hotel where I got my passport from my luggage and handed it over to the cops. They wrote down my full name and ran my data through some sort of hand held device and after 10 agonizing minutes in which I am inwardly furious, my passport is returned to me and the lead cop with some gestures imply that I should always have my passport while in Hungary. The ordeal was over at about 10.45pm and I had to forget about the burger because I wouldn’t make it to the McDonald’s on time and I was too pissed to think of asking the police to give me a ride
Herein is the question. As a resident of a Schengen state, should I always have my passport when walking on the streets of Schengen member states and is it legal for the police to randomly ask to see my passport? Is it right for the police to ask about the immigration status of an immigrant?
I have made some research, discussed with some colleagues and the specialists at my university and arrived at the following conclusions:

1.One should always have an identity document for security reasons – in this case, the passport. I had my Lithuanian student card
but it was insufficient as an ID because I was in Hungary.

2.The laws vary across Schengen member states but apparently, police checks do happen thus the need for one especially a third
world national to always have their passport or resident card.

In practice, it is not necessary to always have your passport if you are in big cities because there is A TON of foreigners for example in Budapest, and it is impractical for the police to try to find illegal residents in this way I guess. So it might be just fine to leave the passport at your hotel. But for small cities such as Nyíregyháza where there are few foreigners and coloured people are a rarity, it is helpful to have your passport on your person at all times if you don’t want to miss that burger.

It would be great to have more experienced travellers share their insight

In respect of how big the city always take along with you your passport when you on a visit in any country

Also, European police are not like Nigeria police .....please always obey instruction at any time /hour for your own safety

If asked to follow them please do comply

Thanks

kelvinUchiha:
Nice info bro...
I'm planning on going to Czech republic in January
Is there racism in schengen zones.
When you buy things and ask people for direction do they become racist?

Hi, there is a bit of racism every where and in everyone, I think, but you are Nigerian, I 'm pretty sure you can handle it.

I recently read this article on Medium. It's from a female's perspective but it gives some insight I think:
https://medium.com/garnet-achieng/being-a-black-african-girl-in-turkey-8fed3a7ca8a8

Czech is a lovely country especially Prague, you won't have any problems I'm sure. Good luck.

goodness11:


In respect of how big the city always take along with you your passport when you on a visit in any country

Also, European police are not like Nigeria police .....please always obey instruction at any time /hour for your own safety

If asked to follow them please do comply

Thanks

You are absolutely accurate and I have learned my lesson, thank you

But where is lalasticlala sef

Keneking:
But where is lalasticlala sef

its not snake he won't read it

You don't know what freedom is until you lose it

lol




Most nairalanders don't know what a passport is neither do they have one.

trash

Pidgin2:
You don't know what freedom is until you lose it

Freedom is being able to travel across 26 European countries without a visa.

I got thesame experience in Turkey Wow!! God have to change my story for sure..

They take security really seriously over there,unlike our dear naija where npf are just a corrupt bunch

Artorius:


Hi, there is a bit of racism every where and in everyone, I think, but you are Nigerian, I 'm pretty sure you can handle it.

I recently read this article on Medium. It's from a female's perspective but it gives some insight I think:
https://medium.com/garnet-achieng/being-a-black-african-girl-in-turkey-8fed3a7ca8a8

Czech is a lovely country especially Prague, you won't have any problems I'm sure. Good luck.

My brother, stop making a fuss out of this scenario. In Schenghen, North America, Different parts of the globe, you're to always carry your passport with you...You know this...


Never ever resist a police, how you react is what they act upon...

Keneking:
But where is lalasticlala sef

Ah!

Please we are all learning, can you list the countries that made up of schengen?

DickDastardLION:
trash

How?

Thanks for sharing

Enouwem:
How?

why?

What about me wey dey 9ja?

Hungary is one of the most racist countries in the world.. I have heared stories from refugee that pass through there on their way to Germany not even blacks and they never have anything good to say..


Sometime ago I was watching a documentary on one of the news outlets and there's this city in Hungary where they are looking for investors, selling their land very cheap but you have to be European white specifically English to be allowed to live there talk more if investing there..

Schengen Europeans are the most useless set of people in this world..

Germany
Poland
Hungary
Switzerland

Very useless

------------------------------------------------------

All those making excuses for the cops have no clue The subtle message in this write up.. you can be in a group of 30 people say 20 are nationals. The remaining are a mix of foreigners but if ur the only black there ur the first person police will come straight for and most times only person..

In a foreign land,you should have documents (Passport, Visa,Ticket etc) that will prove your stay is not illegal with you 24/7.
This is the expected norm in most Countries,nothing racist in all you have narrated

Glad your write up is not one criticising for being security conscious. It is only common sensical for you to go everywhere abroad with your passport. I find it hard to believe many Nigerians make flimsy complain about not wanting to go everywhere with their passport yet they very well know that if the situation was in Nigeria the Nigerian police will not even allow you to go inside the hotel before arresting n possibly deporting you.

Nice

Many people go lie now, even those wey dey for ajegunle go say I am traveling to America tomorrow. By the way OP thanks for the info.

thank God you complied with the cops
would have hate to see yourself on YouTube being brutalized