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Expats in Bahrain disgruntled over new visa rules
| Published: | 7 Mar at 6 PM |
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As reported by Trade Arabia, expatriates in Bahrain have expressed displeasure over new visa regulations which have brought about a crackdown on overseas visitors and led to many long detentions before being let into the country or sent back on return flights.
This follows an announcement by the Interior Ministry on February 13 which said travellers from nations requiring Bahrainis to obtain visas prior to travel would confront the same requirement in travelling to Bahrain.
The decision was allegedly prompted by overseas activists who snuck into Bahrain on tourist visas issued from the airport before participating in anti-government demonstrations. However, there have been no official reports regarding when the new visa regulations would be enforced.
There has been news of Western expats entering the country and being detained at Bahrain International Airport, often for several hours. One British expat, whose in-laws had arrived in Bahrain for the weekend with no visa, said his guests were forced to wait for one and a half hours at the airport before entering the country.
The man said his in-laws were supposed to return to Bahrain to spend Christmas this year, but have since changed their minds. The unnamed expat said he and his wife would visit them in the United Kingdom instead.
This follows an announcement by the Interior Ministry on February 13 which said travellers from nations requiring Bahrainis to obtain visas prior to travel would confront the same requirement in travelling to Bahrain.
The decision was allegedly prompted by overseas activists who snuck into Bahrain on tourist visas issued from the airport before participating in anti-government demonstrations. However, there have been no official reports regarding when the new visa regulations would be enforced.
There has been news of Western expats entering the country and being detained at Bahrain International Airport, often for several hours. One British expat, whose in-laws had arrived in Bahrain for the weekend with no visa, said his guests were forced to wait for one and a half hours at the airport before entering the country.
The man said his in-laws were supposed to return to Bahrain to spend Christmas this year, but have since changed their minds. The unnamed expat said he and his wife would visit them in the United Kingdom instead.
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