Overview

• Hugh Grant publicly criticized an encounter at London Heathrow Airport where a Border Force officer questioned his children to confirm their relationship to him and his wife.
• The officer reportedly whispered to the children, 'Are these your Mum and Dad?' prompting Grant to describe the incident as 'intrusive, insulting, and creepy.'
• UK government guidance allows immigration officers to ask such questions as part of child safeguarding measures during travel.
• Heathrow Airport clarified that Border Force officers, not their staff, are responsible for immigration checks, distancing themselves from the incident.
• The incident has sparked mixed public reactions, with some defending the safeguarding rationale and others echoing Grant's concerns about privacy and appropriateness.