Kenyan Photo Journalist Boniface Mwangi recounts his ordeal with Border Police in Paris

This story is so touching. Looking at the kids lying there is just breaking my heart to Pieces. Boniface Mwangi is a Photojournalist and social Political activist and public commentator. He shared this story of how his family was treated by the Border police in Paris because they did not have a Schenghen visa

According to him, They were not aware that they need a transit visa. They found out on arrival at the airport that their flight to Paris from Kenya already left and Air France decided to give them new tickets to fly to Paris via Amsterdam. They were not aware that they need a transit Visa and this is what happened. Sad story after the page break

One day l will write about today in detail.

We left New York on Delta airline on Tuesday 2nd September via Paris with my family,an hour late since our flight was delayed. We found our connection flight to Kenya had already left. Air France gave us new tickets to Fly to Nairobi via Amsterdam.

We found ourselves detained for three hours by the border police in Paris while trying to get the connection via Amsterdam. My family didn't have Schengen visas but the airline gave us the Amsterdam tickets anyway. Apparently we couldn't transit without Schengen visa's but the Air France ground crew never bothered to let us know that.

So three hours later in the border police unit (where I had to be escorted to use the toilet,which doesn't lock) they gave us new boarding passes for a flight leaving tomorrow morning. We went to the Air France office after the police station ordeal with another Kenyan, Evelina Olago, who said they would offer us a hotel for the night, only to come back and inform us that the police said we couldn't leave the airport.

To cut the long story short, we are spending the night at the airport. We arrived here 2nd September 10:15am and we shall depart 3rd September 1100hrs (24 hours later).

We are still stranded at the airport and now trying to find what to do with the kids sleeping at every bench and floor we stop at. French police have refused to let the airline get us a hotel or so they claim. I went back to the border police base to ask about the denial and the officer l found couldn't even look at me.

When they noticed he was taking pictures, they turned their backs on him

 The French police may justify they're trying to keep out illegal immigrants but the lack of empathy,understanding and zero effort in listening to us hurts. We are stranded in France not because we want to but the airline made a mistake and we the paying passengers are suffering. What strikes me is that between all the requests, the shuttling back and forth, the airline's (Flying Blue-Sky Team) involved didn't admit we are in this transit mess because of them.

Somehow we're the fools, the nuisance: paying for a service and entering a social contract, actually trusting the people on the other end to deliver. It's going to be a long night!

 Poor Kids.! Airfrance should know better and for everyone that is wondering. For travels to Schenghen states ( you can google the states under this on Wikipedia or just google it) You do need a transit visa if you are only going to pass through airport.