Ministers warn Muslim pilgrims over rogue travel agents

Tania Branigan, political correspondent
Thursday November 8, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Ministers are warning the 25,000 British Muslims who will make the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca next month to beware of rogue travel agents, amid concern that conmen are exploiting the religious faithful.

It follows claims that pilgrims had been left without accommodation, visas or flight tickets. In extreme cases, agents simply disappeared with their cash.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is writing to every MP, urging them to publicise the issue in their constituencies, after Muslim organisations warned of the scam.

"Unfortunately for some pilgrims, what should be the occasion of a lifetime is turning into a nightmare. It's not acceptable and we want to put an end to it," said the consumer minister, Gareth Thomas.

"These conmen think that they are above the law because they exploit people who are either unwilling to complain, don't know how to complain - or simply don't realise that they can complain.

"People must give evidence to the police or trading standards so that we can crackdown on these unscrupulous practices. We want to be able to take more action like the successful case in Leicester, where a boss was fined £20,000 for leaving customers in the lurch."

In April this year a travel agent in the city was prosecuted by trading standards after failing to arrange visas for his customers and, in one case, leaving a traveller without accommodation or transport.

Able-bodied Muslims who can afford the trip have a duty to make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. An estimated 2 million participated last year.

The department for business is launching a publicity drive in the Asian media to make pilgrims aware that they have legal rights under the package travel regulations and may be eligible for compensation if a tour operator has failed to honour its contractual obligations.

They are urging people to use tour operators who are accredited by the Saudi embassy and belong to reputable trade organisations such as ABTA.

They have also warned them to agree details of their travel itinerary in writing before paying for their trip - after some pilgrims found they had paid for five-star hotels but ended up in poor quality accommodation.

Khalid Pervez from the Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK warned that rogue agents were causing distress and hardship.

He added: "We unanimously condemn the fraudulent, illegal activities, corruption, inhumane and degrading treatment from the rogue Hajj & Umrah tour operators who think that rules, regulation, procedure and the law do not apply to them.

"All Hajj & Umrah tour operators and travel agents must abide by the law to safeguard vulnerable British Hajj travelle

Royals hand in hand on Turkish tour

Romance was in the air for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall when the royal couple gave a rare public display of affection as they visited a magnificent ancient city in Turkey.

Like two young lovers they strolled hand in hand through the picturesque ruined metropolis of Ephesus and at one point Charles put a comforting arm around his wife.

The Prince - who frequently refers to the Duchess as 'my darling wife' - rarely shows the love he clearly feels for his partner he married in 2005.

But as the royal couple toured the ancient city like a couple of tourists they let their guard down despite being surrounded by dozens of press.

When Charles and Camilla arrived at Ephesus on the south-west coast of Turkey they were greeted with the impressive site of an enormous 40,000 seater amphitheatre. Armed with a Sony compact digital camera the Duchess snapped away at the amphitheatre as it towered above them.

The Duke and Duchess then walked along a long processional way flanked by broken stone columns and stopped at points of interest which were explained by guides.

When they came to one of Ephesus's grandest and best preserved ruins - the Library of Celsus - Camilla again stopped to take another quick snap as Charles looked on.

All that remains of the two storey building is its beautiful classical facade which includes marble columns and carved statues of women and some interior walls.

It was built above the tomb of a former consul - Celsus Polemaenus - whose son erected the magnificent reading room over his father's sarcophagus in the second century.

Charles and Camilla were treated to a dance by a troop from the nearby town of Izmir before they had the opportunity to tour the building. As they watched the ten-minute performance the Prince put his arm around his wife for the duration while she turned to smile and talk to him.