How I got Deported From China: Unique 2016 Travel Experience

Introduction:

There are many reasons someone can be deported from a country where they’re not a citizen. Usually, we think of serious crimes or overstaying visas, but sometimes it’s much simpler — and more frustrating.

In my case, I didn’t commit any crime. I had all my papers in order, including a freshly issued visa, and thought everything would be fine. But after landing in Beijing from Europe, I wasn’t able to pass customs clearance. Just like that, my time in China ended before it even began.

So why was I deported from China? Let me tell you the full story…

Background history

Back then, I was living in China for business and held a one-year visa that came with a maximum stay of three months at a time. This meant that every three months I had to leave China, get stamped out, and then return. The easiest way to do this was by flying to Hong Kong, spending a day there, and then coming back — a routine that quickly became part of my life.

But once a year, I needed to return all the way to France to apply for a brand-new visa. In August 2016, that’s exactly what I did. I flew home, spent two weeks in France, applied for and received my new visa, and booked my flight back to China where Tina was waiting for me. Everything seemed to be going perfectly — business as usual.

Arriving in China

I flew from Frankfurt to Beijing, connecting there to catch a domestic flight to Zhengzhou. It was the usual long-haul — eleven hours in the air, most of it spent watching movies since I’m a light sleeper and never manage much rest on planes.

Landing in Beijing felt familiar. It wasn’t my first time, so I knew the airport routine pretty well. After stepping off the plane, I made my way toward immigration to clear customs before catching my next flight.

As always, the airport was crowded. Lines snaked through the immigration hall, and I braced myself for the wait — anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Nothing unusual so far.

Custom Clearance

When it was finally my turn at the counter, I handed over my passport as usual. Normally this part is quick — especially since my passport was already filled with Chinese immigration stamps. But this time, something felt different. The officer studied it longer than normal, then called a manager over. My passport was taken away, and I got the classic line: “Wait, please.”

Twenty minutes later, they came back and told me I couldn’t pass. No explanation, just that I needed to wait longer. I tried again, politely asking what the problem was, even explaining the reasons for my trip. Still, nothing. They wouldn’t let me in.

I reached out to the French consulate and even my Chinese company, hoping they could help. But no luck — doors stayed closed. The reality started to sink in: I might actually be deported from China.

In a last attempt, I tried going through another immigration counter, hoping a different agent might see things differently. Instead, the officer stamped my visa with one brutal word: CANCELLED. At that moment, it became clear — I wasn’t entering China this time.

The reason behind

In the end, the explanation I finally pieced together was linked to timing. In September 2016, the G20 summit was being held in Hangzhou. For such major events, China’s immigration policies become a lot stricter, and the number of foreign entries is heavily reduced.

On top of that, my passport carried plenty of Turkish entry and exit stamps from the 10 months I had previously worked there. Somehow, that combination was enough for them to decide I was a “risk” and reject my entry into the country.

It felt surreal — all my papers were in order, I had a brand-new visa, and I had been living and working in China for years. But none of that mattered. With one stamp, I was deported.

And then?

From there, I was sent to a small counter tucked away behind immigration, where I found a handful of other travelers who had also been denied entry. One by one, the officials rescheduled us on flights back to where we had come from. There was no negotiation — they simply used your return ticket, and the cost was yours to bear.

I had landed in Beijing in the afternoon, but my return flight wasn’t until the early morning around 2 a.m. So that meant a very long wait.

Once our paperwork was done, a customs policeman showed up and asked us to follow him. We were still in the international transit zone, so technically we hadn’t “entered” China. He led us through a series of quiet hallways to what I can only describe as a holding hotel hidden inside the airport. No check-in desk, no choice of room — just a sterile space where rejected travelers were asked to sit and wait until someone came to escort us to our flight.

It was strange, almost surreal. I had lived in China for years, passed through this same airport many times, and suddenly I was on the other side of the line — not allowed in, waiting in limbo to be sent away.

The Hotel

This part was not that bad! The hotel room was 2 by 2m or so. But there was shared WC, shower and even a meal.  And thankfully this part was free.

I had a nice shower which felt great after the first flight and all this story. Ate something and then simply waited.

The return

Around 2 a.m., a customs officer came to collect me and bring me to my plane. To my surprise, he was super friendly. We chatted in a mix of English and Chinese, and it turned out he was passionate about cars. At one point, he even told me with a smile, “Come back in two weeks, it will be fine then.” That’s when it finally made sense — the whole thing had more to do with the G20 summit restrictions than with me personally.

He escorted me all the way to the aircraft door. I’ve never boarded a plane so fast in my life — faster than first-class passengers! And just like that, I was flying back to Europe.

Funny ending

I didn’t make it to Zhengzhou that day — I was deported from China. But here’s the kicker: my luggage did! Somehow, my bags managed to continue their journey without me. Luckily, I had friends in Zhengzhou who picked them up for me, so at least that part of the trip had a happy ending.