Tourist in US chained 'like Hannibal Lecter'

A tourist held in the US for 19 days was removed in chains like Hannibal Lecter, according to her parents.

Becky Burke, 28, arrived home in Wales on Tuesday from her ordeal which began half way through a backpacking trip across North America.

Parents Paul and Andrea Burke, of Portskewett, Monmouthshire, said their daughter was "traumatised" after being taken in "leg chains, waist chains and handcuffs".

The Northwest ICE Processing Center said in a statement: "All aliens in violation of US immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States regardless of nationality."

It said that Ms Burke was repatriated to the UK on March 18 after being detained "related to the violation of the terms and conditions of her admission".

Ms Burke's detention came as what her family think was a misunderstanding of her accommodation arrangements.

She got free accommodation for helping host families "around the house", which her father believes authorities may have suspected broke the terms of her tourist visa.

The US State Department says people on visitor visas are prohibited from carrying out "employment" during their stay.

Her parents said Becky had spoken about her removal by ICE agents.

"On Monday she was taken from the detention facility, to a location close to the airport, ready to be taken to the plane," Mr Burke said.

Mr Burke said nobody outside of the detention facility knew she had been taken.

"She is not Hannibal Lecter," he said, referring to the cannibalistic serial killer film character portrayed by Anthony Hopkins.

"She said she could only walk with the support of an ICE officer," he added.

Mrs Burke added she could not believe it when she was told.

Becky Burke has been reunited with her family and dog, Bo Jangles

Becky's parents said they were not sure their daughter was on the plane until she walked through the gates.

"It was very, very emotional," Mrs Burke said.

"We were on tenterhooks really, just watching the door for what seemed like forever."

Mr Burke said: "When you have been holding on like we have for this, when we saw her come through the gates, all of what we had held in was released. It was another surreal day."

The couple were not pushing her to tell them what happened.

"It must be overwhelming for her to suddenly be able to do what she wants to do when she wants to do it," Mrs Burke said.

"And to sleep for as long as she wants to without fluorescent lights on 24 hours a day.

"But she also feels awful for leaving the others behind."

Becky began her backpacking trip on 7 January

"She is enjoying some of the home comforts that most of us take for granted," Mr Burke said.

"Relishing just sitting in the garden, having a comfy bed, pillow and warm clothes.

"For 19 days she was just wearing the same prison clothes."

"There are lot of things we need to address through political channels to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else," Mr Burke said.

Catherine Fookes, the MP for Monmouthshire, has urged Foreign Secretary David Lammy to meet Ms Burke's family.

"Whilst I'm delighted she's home, I was really disappointed and actually quite shocked to hear that she was transported to the airport in the USA in chains despite doing absolutely nothing wrong and posing no risk," Fookes said in the House of Commons on Thursday.

She asked Commons leader Lucy Powell if she would support a meeting between the Burke family and Lammy "so they can feedback their difficult experience" with US immigration to the Foreign Office to ensure "lessons can be learned".

Powell said she was "pleased to hear" Ms Burke had returned home, adding she would ensure Fookes got a meeting with the appropriate minister.

The Northwest ICE Processing Center said: "All aliens in violation of US immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States regardless of nationality."

Becky, an artist, wrote and drew while she was detained and her parents said she hopes to write a graphic novel about the experience.

During her trip she stayed with families helping with housework in return for a place to stay.

She was denied entry at the US-Canada border

At the end of February she went to Seattle with plans to go to Vancouver, in Canada.

But at the border, Mr Burke said Canadian authorities refused her entry, saying she needed to return to the US.

There she was held at a detention centre in Tacoma, in Washington state.

Mr and Mrs Burke said they had been completely overwhelmed by the support.

A US customs spokesman previously said they could not discuss specific cases but that travellers were treated with "integrity, respect and according to law".