US citizen denied entry into Poland after security staff object to handwritten notes in passport

US citizen denied entry into Poland after security staff object to handwritten notes in passport
A US citizen has been blocked from entering Poland because her passport was defaced with handwritten notes, border officials said Wednesday. (File/@KSA_ACS)
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Updated 08 January 2025

US citizen denied entry into Poland after security staff object to handwritten notes in passport

US citizen denied entry into Poland after security staff object to handwritten notes in passport
  • The unidentified passenger arrived at Krakow’s Balice airport on a flight from London
  • She will remain at the airport for a return flight to London on Thursday

WARSAW: A US citizen has been blocked from entering Poland because her passport was defaced with handwritten notes, border officials said Wednesday.
The unidentified passenger arrived at Krakow’s Balice airport on a flight from London shortly after midnight, according to Justyna Drozdz, a local border security spokeswoman.
The woman was stopped at passport control because her document contained handwritten notes of locations and airport names under visa stamps from the countries she had visited.
The woman told border security staff she was unaware it was not permitted to write on passports or ID documents, Drozdz told Polish news agency PAP.
She will remain at the airport for a return flight to London on Thursday.
As a general rule, it is not permissible for the holder to write in a passport other than to provide a required signature and emergency contacts. Airlines and immigration officials often deny boarding or entry if they feel a passport has been damaged or defaced.
It was not clear why border officials elsewhere had not questioned the woman about her passport.


Lebanese woman fired from work after replying to post by Israeli military’s spokesman

Lebanese woman fired from work after replying to post by Israeli military’s spokesman
Updated 07 November 2025

Lebanese woman fired from work after replying to post by Israeli military’s spokesman

Lebanese woman fired from work after replying to post by Israeli military’s spokesman
  • Sarah Shayah replied to IDF’s spokesman Avichay Adraee, saying, ‘Baalbek when?’
  • Lawyer tells Arab News that interacting via social media with any Israeli is ‘against the Lebanese penal code’

BEIRUT: A Lebanese employee was fired from her job with immediate effect after her reply to a post by the Israeli military’s spokesman on X triggered a social media uproar.
Shortly after the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X evacuation orders for residents of southern villages on Thursday, Lebanese citizen Sarah Shayah replied, saying: “Baalbek when?”
Without any clear indication as to what she meant by her reply, many social media users lashed out at Shayah, accusing her of communicating with Israelis and calling for her prosecution.
Others saw her reply as a joke or a simple error that should not have been taken so seriously.

Screenshot taken from social media shows Lebanese citizen Sarah Shayah’s reply to IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee’s post on X on Thursday. (Social Media)

According to Lebanese media, Shayah was an employee at the non-profit Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training.
LOST’s President Dr. Rami Al-Lakkis was quoted as telling Annahar newspaper that Shayah was immediately dismissed from her job. Citing a breach of the organization’s established procedures and regulations, Al-Lakkis emphasized that her actions constituted a violation of Lebanese laws, as they are considered communication with the enemy.
A lawyer specialized in criminal law told Arab News on Friday that interacting via social media with any Israeli is “against the Lebanese penal code.”
The lawyer, who requested anonymity, said: “A person who replies, retweets, or interacts with any social media account of any Israeli national is considered a form of communication with the enemy. If found guilty, a suspect could face no less than one year in jail.”
No confirmation could be obtained as to whether any legal action had been initiated against Shayah by the time this article was published.