Nightmare for Brits trapped by debt in Bahrain

[closeupready]

Source: The Guardian

A group of Britons are caught in a hellish catch-22 situation in Bahrain – they owe money but are not allowed to work their way out of debt. The British businesspeople contacted The Observer to say they are subject to travel bans obtained by banks that forbid them from leaving the country because they owe money.

Under Bahraini law anyone with a travel ban may not have their residence or work permits renewed – meaning they are effectively prevented from repaying their debts.

Some business people have been stuck in the Gulf state for as long as five years, and all say they have received no assistance from the British embassy, even though political protest in the country continues and the advice from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office is to avoid all but essential travel there.

One man, who has been divorced by his wife while he is stuck in Bahrain, has not seen his children in three years. Another, who has a heart condition, has been repeatedly jailed for owing money.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/mar/06/nightmare-brits-debt-bahrain

---

There are few circumstances more stressful, I think, than the fear of being forced into indentured servitude or even a debtors' prison. This must be highly stressful for those who are stuck there.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

1. What ever happened to just fleeing back to Saudi Arabia? it's only 10mi across the water.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Sure, I bet the heart condition guy can just swim it.

[onehandle]

2. Republican corporatists are taking notes. I'm sure they would love to do the same here. nt

[closeupready]

3. No doubt.

I'm sure they've got a plan for this tucked up their sleeves.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

4. Remember this article about what it's like to be a foreigner trapped in Dubai?

The dark side of Dubai

Dubai was meant to be a Middle-Eastern Shangri-La, a glittering monument to Arab enterprise and western capitalism. But as hard times arrive in the city state that rose from the desert sands, an uglier story is emerging. Johann Hari reports

Once the manic burst of building has stopped and the whirlwind has slowed, the secrets of Dubai are slowly seeping out. This is a city built from nothing in just a few wild decades on credit and ecocide, suppression and slavery. Dubai is a living metal metaphor for the neo-liberal globalised world that may be crashing – at last – into history.


Read more:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html

[closeupready]

5. Yes, I did recall that story as well.

I kind of wonder if they ever did a sort of "whatever happened to ...?" type of follow-up story.

[JCMach1]

6. Precisely...

[Altoid_Cyclist]

18. That's a great point.

I'll have to see if I can find anything on a follow up to the original.

I have a BIL who thinks that Dubai is one of the greatest places to live.
Of course, he's never actually lived there. I mentioned the original story and offered to send him the link, but he just gave me one of those RW smirks and said that I didn't know what I was talking about.

If I was going to move to another country, I can think of a lot of places that would come before the UAE.

[bahrbearian]

7. I can't wait for Hailburton and Black Water to go into the Red.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Never happen.

They are bullet proof, anytime they get sued, they just spin off the problem part of the company, then give money to Congress to get more contracts.

[Lastactiongyro]

19. that was an awesome story!

[thereismore]

8. Same thing happened to a lot of expats in Dubai when they lost a job there. Debtor's prison!

They take debt seriously in Arabic countries, but only for individuals, especially foreign workers. The whole city-states can swim in debt and that's just fine.

[Taverner]

11. Dubai is swimming in debt

And soon they won't have money to keep up their desalinization plants.

Then things will get very scary, dismal and sad there.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

12. I know someone who got caught in a jam there

They got fired from their job after crossing a local who had struck a woman. He was stranded for several months, ultimately a wealthy young local who just liked hanging around with Americas smuggled him out on a little yacht in exchange for sending back a suitcase full of Victoria's Secret.

He hadn't even defaulted on his debts, his landlord just figured he would and obtained the travel ban. Individual employees (with no individual liability) of companies owing money have also been hit with travel bans.

[JCMach1]

13. The scam works like this... take a loan and give a security check for the whole amount post-dated to

the end of the loan.

Run into trouble the bank cashes the check and it bounces. Now you are a felon and the bank can prevent you leaving the country.

UAE protests are scheduled to begin 3/15.

But to paraphrase Billy Bragg: You'll wait a long time for a Beverly Hills coup.

[LeftishBrit]

14. This is horrible.

[Jkid]

15. Why can't the Bahrain authorities deport them?

Then bar them from entering the country until they pay back their debts?

[closeupready]

16. That's the point - deportation would be totally fine with them; but authorities won't let them go.

Understand, this is how things used to work pre-Renaissance. There is a reason that the modern field of humanities is generally devoid of works from places like Bahrain or Saudi Arabia.

[redwitch]

17. I would think the British govt would help these people.

This is just wrong. How awful!