All Worked Up
I was helping my boyfriend with his business in his country. He had a nice shop, and sometimes, when he was busy, I would stay there for a few hours. If I’d known what was coming, I’d have gotten the heck out of there. The immigration inspectors showed up, and I got busted. They were rude and wouldn’t listen to anything. My boyfriend nor I couldn’t convince them that I wasn’t an undocumented worker.
They packed me up and took me to an actual prison 120km away from the city they “caught” me in. It was my first time in that country. I was a legitimate tourist with a return ticket, and I never intended to disobey the law and work in a country I didn’t even like. I had my departure scheduled. Nevertheless, they held me for a week with others who had worked without permission for YEARS.
The authorities distorted my testimony. Luckily, my boyfriend did everything to get me out of trouble and hired an attorney who exposed the wrong protocol. Despite the fact I was released and permitted to leave the country on the day I had planned, I got a black mark on my passport and couldn’t get in for the next year. My boyfriend (now husband) and I saw each other only four times throughout that year.