Detained at a border or airport, or worried it could happen on your next trip? Our network includes a licensed lawyer at the location where you are held.
Direct answer: airport detentions are usually triggered by a database check at passport control — most often an INTERPOL Red Notice or diffusion, a national arrest warrant, or an immigration watch-list entry. Most countries cap how long you can be held before you must be brought before a court, but that window is often short, so what you do in the first hours matters.
Global Lawyers Link is an international legal referral and coordination network, not a law firm licensed in any single jurisdiction.
Our network includes licensed lawyers in the relevant jurisdiction for your matter, working together on strategy from day one. Representation before any court is always handled directly by the network lawyer admitted to practice there.
Border control systems check passports against several databases in seconds — the alert that stops you is rarely visible until it does.
Border systems routinely check travelers against INTERPOL databases, national watch lists, and outstanding domestic warrants.
A Red Notice, diffusion, or Blue Notice can flag a traveler even where no formal extradition request has yet been filed.
In most countries you can request that your embassy or consulate be notified promptly after detention.
Many jurisdictions require a court appearance within a set number of hours — commonly 24 to 72 — before detention can continue.
An airport detention is stressful and disorienting by design. A few clear steps in the first hour make a real difference.
Tell us what has happened and where. We will confirm what applies and bring in the right network lawyer — in confidence.
Ask for a lawyer and consular notification, avoid discussing the substance of the case, and do not sign any waiver or surrender document on the spot.
You are generally entitled to be informed of the basis for detention, though the level of detail provided varies significantly by country.
This varies by jurisdiction, but many countries require a court appearance within 24 to 72 hours of an arrest-style detention.
Often yes, but only once the underlying notice or warrant has actually been resolved or removed — being released from detention does not always mean the alert itself is gone.
Tell us what has happened, the country involved, and any documents you have received. We will respond directly and confidentially, and bring in the right network lawyer if representation is needed.
Call +30 697 027 1489