Brazil defender Alex was dramatically refused entry into Britain as he arrived to negotiate his transfer to Chelsea. The 25-year-old was held at Heathrow Airport on Sunday while his work permit status was investigated but had failed to make it through customs after four hours and boarded a flight back to Brazil.He has played in only eight of the 14 Brazil games for which he has been available in the last two years and, as a result, does not meet the 75 per cent figure which guarantees him a work permit. Customs staff asked him to wait at the airport while they made further enquiries but the defender decided to board a plane back to Brazil and take the 12-hour flight home.
Brodie Clark, the Home Office's strategic director of border control, said: "We have a duty to ensure the protection. Visitors to the UK also need to be aware of the presence of immigration officers and that they will be subject to checks before being granted entry to this country."
Criteria for work permits to play in England are agreed between the football authorities and the Home Office. Chelsea have always known Alex would fall short of the 75 per cent figure and have a hearing set for next week, at which they will plead special circumstances. Manchester United secured a permit for Brazil midfielder Anderson, 19, using the "special circumstances" loophole because he is a young player who has not had a chance to cement his place in the national team.
Alex, however, is six years older and may need to argue that he comes from Brazil, where caps are much harder to acquire. Chelsea said in a statement last night that Alex had been going to London to discuss personal terms and not to start work, so he did not need a work permit. Immigration officials can be forgiven if they were confused by Alex's status. Chelsea signed the defender from Santos in 2004 and immediately "parked" him at PSV indhoven with the option to buy him back for a nominal fee of a dollar (about 50p), an option they appear set to exercise.
