I'm an American citizen and I've overstayed my visa in the UK (non-Schengen Area). I want to go home but I have some questions about traveling back.
I've looked at flights and, while I've found some out of London that go directly to the US, a lot of the ones I've come across have a layover in a Schengen Area country (including the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Portugal and Iceland).
These flights are much more affordable, but I'm concerned about having to pass through immigration when I transit through there. I don't want to put myself in a position where I'll possibly be denied entry and detained when I arrive due to my travel history (I'm also unsure if there'd be an exit check in the Schengen Area or if it would even be a problem if there was).
Another question of mine is, if I make a booking that requires me to change terminal in the Schengen Area airport, would that mean I would need to pass through immigration?
I just wanted to add, I use a website that allows you to purchase multiple flights in the same booking, so my bags would be checked through from the UK all the way to the US without me having to recheck them during transit.
As far as I understand, if I booked the flights individually, I would need to check my bags in the UK and then again when I arrived in the Schengen Area. I would have no choice but to pass through immigration at that point as I would need to leave the transit area in the airport.
So, am I safe to transit through the Schengen Area (even Iceland) to the US? I'm just trying to go home, but I can obviously expect scrutiny on an immigration standpoint. I'd rather avoid any issues if I can.