Foreign Ministry urges citizens to verify fake travel agencies

Manama, Following the complaint received by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Baghdad regarding the detention of the passports of 140 Bahraini citizens visiting Karbala by a hotel due to the failure of the travel campaign operator to settle the payment with the hotel management and subsequently disappearing. The Embassy, in accordance with the directives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Consular and Administrative Affairs and the Consular Services Sector, initiated contact with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and the joint efforts resulted in the retrieval of the detained travel documents. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges Bahraini citizens intending to travel to ensure the verification of licenses for travel campaigns and agencies in accordance with the laws of the Kingdom of Bahrain before proceeding with bookings and payments. This comes in light of repeated incidents of fraudulent bookings and the failure of travel agencies to take responsibility for travelers through t hese deceptive arrangements, which expose them to risks during their travels. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Consular and Administrative Affairs, emphasises the importance of public awareness regarding legal actions against unlicensed or fraudulent travel campaigns and agencies. It encourages citizens to report such incidents through official channels and relevant government authorities in the Kingdom of Bahrain, providing evidence of any fraud encountered. The Consular Services Sector at the Ministry, along with all Bahraini embassies and consulates, remains fully prepared to address and follow up on such affected cases. Source: Bahrain News Agency