German band to boycott UK after ‘humiliating’ treatment at border
A punk band from Germany was allegedly refused entry into the UK due to post-Brexit rule changes.
The Stuttgart-based band called Trigger Cut was due to play at seven UK venues this week but was refused entry into the country.
“Today we got refused at the UK border for weird reasons,” the band wrote in a Facebook post. “We would have needed a special certificate of sponsorship but no one knew before, not even the venues, promoters, or the German customs authority.
“Brexit bureaucracy??? A post-Brexit nightmare.”
The band, which consists of three members, also said that the whole experience “at the UK border was humiliating and sad”.
In another post, the band explained that the UK authorities wanted them to have “ a so-called certificate of sponsorship from all seven clubs,” claiming that “this certificate or number was unknown even to the organisers”.
“Nobody knew about it!!” the post read. “I think I’ve never felt so degraded, sad, and bad as I do today.
“We were completely unfairly rejected and were not allowed to enter the UK. We were handed over like criminals to the French border police and had to leave Calais.”
Trigger Cut announced that they won’t be making “a third attempt to tour [in the UK].”
“The pain and humiliation runs deep,” the band said. “The first attempt to tour there had Covid devastated us and we were left with massive costs that were not repaid.”
The UK officially left the European Union on 31 January 2020. The experience of British travellers to the EU and vice versa since then has changed dramatically.
The frontman of The Charlatans, Tim Burgess, said the Trigger Cut’s “nightmare” experience showed the damage Brexit was doing to touring musicians.
“What happened to Trigger Cut is scary, as bands from the EU are facing confusing and complex rules that mean UK tour dates might just not be worth their while,” he told The Guardian.
A government spokesman told the outlet: “Musicians and performers are a valued and important part of UK culture with the country attracting world-class entertainers and musicians from around the globe. This is why we offer a dedicated immigration route for creative workers.
“All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules. The application process is designed to ensure that all visa decisions can be made using the most accurate information and is fair for all applicants.”
