The majority of British residents in Bahrain are choosing to shelter in place during the ongoing geopolitical tensions, according to a top diplomat.
Speaking during a Press roundtable, UK Ambassador Alastair Long revealed that approximately 1,000 British nationals, half of whom were visitors to Bahrain, have evacuated from the kingdom through the King Fahd Causeway.
He also clarified that the embassy in Bahrain does not see repatriation as necessary at this time but for those who are seeking to go back home, it has been facilitating their return with necessary travel documents.
“We’ve seen just short of 1,000 exits, and the split is about 50-50 between visitors and residents,” Mr Long noted.
“And those are mainly people who we’ve neither assisted with their departure, nor told them to depart.”
“These are people who’ve taken the decision of their own free will, but the option they have availed is to leave over the causeway. But that shows you too, that the majority, particularly of residents, are choosing to shelter in place.”
The ambassador highlighted that British nationals can register their presence in Bahrain through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, so they receive important updates to travel advice.
He noted that the embassy’s current advice to UK nationals is to either shelter in place or leave via the Saudi causeway.
When asked about the UK’s first repatriation flight from Oman which was delayed due to operational issues, the ambassador noted that ‘a number of triaged and vulnerable people’ were booked on that flight, while there are a number of other options from Riyadh and UAE to exit the region.
“At the moment, we’re not in a situation where we’re doing assisted departure, because it’s not strictly necessary,” he noted.
“The chances of you coming to harm are extremely, extremely small and thanks to the extraordinary job the Bahrain authorities are doing, knocking this stuff out the sky and keeping the streets clear of debris and fire, we are okay, so sheltering in places is very much an option.”
“The other option available to people is the causeway which is still open. We’re not saying get out, as some other nations have, but we’re saying you can get out if you wish to, but otherwise you must shelter in place and follow the advice of local authorities.”
He noted that the embassy has supported British nationals in ‘a couple of cases’ with emergency travel documents where they have not had the right documentation to cross the border.
The embassy had issued a notice yesterday noting that some embassy staff have been withdrawn from the kingdom, along with their families.
During the roundtable, Mr Long clarified that the embassy continues to operate and every section within it is functioning.
“They were sent here on a government mission and so the government at home applies a different calculation to their being here,” he explained.
“Now the current UK travel advice for Bahrain says we advise against all travel from the UK to Bahrain that isn’t essential, and so our government looked at that and noted their presence isn’t essential, therefore, if they can, they should come home.”
In its latest travel advisory, the UK embassy noted the situation in Bahrain is ‘serious’ and those staying in the kingdom should follow the instructions of local authorities.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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