IslandMusician Allison Crowe deported from UK

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BY SARAH PETRESCU, TIMES COLONIST MAY 22, 2009 9:01 AM http://www.timescolonist.com/Entertainment...0083/story.html

Vancouver Island-based musician Allison Crowe was held at London’s Gatwick airport for 11 hours this week and deported on a flight today to Toronto, her manager Adrian du Plessis confirmed in an e-mail. She plans to fly from Toronto to Frankfurt to perform.

Crowe, 27, and her bandmates had their passports confiscated upon arrival at Gatwick Airport Tuesday. She told the Telegraph newspaper they were shut in a room for six hours and threatened she’d never perform in Europe again once her passport was stamped by the UK Border Authority as “barred from entry.”

Crowe was entering the U.K. to perform a handful of gigs in small venues across Europe. Her group was targeted because they had not obtained a Certificate of Sponsorship from the venues. The new visa requirement was brought in last November to fight illegal immigration and terrorism and is strongly opposed by the arts community around the world.

Neither of the venues Crowe was scheduled to play knew about the new legislation and had not had difficulties with other international artists in recent months.

German officials said they would welcome Crowe upon arrival, without the sponsor documents. She is scheduled to perform in Frankfurt.

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