---

Hajj Pilgrimage increases Tolerance: Report

BIRMINGHAM: The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (ABH) the only Hajj specific and charitable organization working for the welfare and well being of British Hajj pilgrims welcome the study report ‘Estimating the impact of the Hajj: Religion and Tolerance in Islam’s Global Gathering’ produced by Harvard University – John F. Kennedy School of Government –America.
According to the findings and evidence produced from this report, Hajj pilgrimage increases tolerance amongst pilgrims and these pilgrims return with more positive views towards people from other countries. Contrary to some theories that Hajj may help spread radical views.
The findings also suggest that Hajj makes pilgrims more peacefully inclines, and increased tolerance extends to adherents of other religions. Hajj pilgrims also show more positive views towards other nationalities and social groups.
The findings of the evidence produced in this report suggest that during Hajj, the pilgrim imbibes ethical and educational lessons which reduce his faults. He inquires patience through hardship. He becomes humble, generous and tender. He renounces lying, backbiting, animosity and pride. He learns from his journey through mixing with others. Within him, positive social tendencies grow and morals are refined.

The scholars from The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) emphasise that “During Hajj millions of pilgrims from all over the world, enter into a state of total sanctity that prevents them from violating the life of safety of any human being. Hajj also helps pilgrims to break the barriers of race, language, ethnicity and colour that divide them and helps them to create unity amongst humanity”.

.....return

---

British Muslims welcome conviction of culprits forging Hajj visas

The Association of British Hujjaj (A.B.H.) U.K welcomes an Egyptian Courts judgement convicting three culprits for their role in forging Hajj visas, and sentenced them for a period of three years with labour. These three were arrested during last year's Hajj season after being accused of forging Hajj visas and selling them to a group of prospective Hajj Pilgrims. These pilgrims were detained while they were making the procedures of their travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for performing Hajj.

The Association of British Hujjaj (A.B.H.) express their grave concern that every year a substantial number of prospective Hajj & Umrah Pilgrims suffer extreme hardship, difficulty, mental anguish and financial exploitations at the hands of unscrupulous and rogue Hajj tour and travel operators, throughout the world. The situation has worsened significantly in the last few years, therefore the Association of British Hujjaj (A.B.H) U.K strongly urge all the concerned governments and specifically the government of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to crack down on those who are responsible for the growing culture of immoral and illegal practices in Hajj/Umrah travel and tour industry.

It is extremely vital not to ignore the plight of pilgrims and to set up permanent arrangements to help and protect them by eliminating the malpractice and fraudulent activities of unscrupulous travel and tour operators in order to let pilgrims perform Hajj & Umrah in peace and harmony.

.....return

---

U.K. Government Hosts Summit to Stop Exploitation of Hajj Pilgrims

July 16, 2008

The Government is today hosting a summit to tackle problems faced by British Muslims making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Travel operators, community groups and consumer organizations will discuss with the Government how to protect people from rogue travel agents.

In recent years many pilgrims have been ripped off by a variety of scams, including:

* Paying for a five star hotel, but getting a poor quality cramped room
* Visas and flight tickets not arriving
* Last minute changes to flights
* In extreme cases agents are simply disappearing - taking pilgrims’ money with them

Consumer Minister Gareth Thomas said:

“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. “We need to help pilgrims avoid booking with rogue travel agents and to get redress when they fall foul of those who break the law.

“Pilgrims who are defrauded by rogue travel operators must complain to the Police or Trading Standards, so we can take action to bring the criminals to justice.

“It is encouraging for the UK’s annual 25,000 Hajj pilgrims that so many people involved have come together today to find solutions.”

Hajj pilgrims from the UK have legal rights under the Package Travel Regulations and may be eligible for compensation if a tour operator has failed to honor its contractual obligations.

To help avoid rogue traders, pilgrims are advised to:

* Check the package operator holds an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL)
* Consider booking with a company that has been independently recommended by friends or family
* Keep documents such as contracts, invoices and letters in a safe place, as this helps with redress if things go wrong

Source: Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

Available from: www.netnewspublisher.com

.....return

---

Warning of rogue tour operators

Muslims making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca - the Hajj - are being warned by Trading Standards to be on their guard for unscrupulous tour operators.

Around 50,000 British Muslims make the Hajj every year. Many save for years to make the journey and more than 80 per cent of travellers are aged over 65.

Trading Standards in Birmingham and the wider Midlands are again working with the Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (ABH) to raise awareness of tour companies that operate unfair or illegal practices.

Following a similar warning last year, Trading Standards received a number of complaints which are being investigated.

Councillor Neil Eustace, Chair of the Public Protection Committee, said: "Some unscrupulous tour operators target the Muslim community, claiming they specialise in organising Hajj. They often don't have an air tours operators licence and are therefore breaking UK law and not providing legal protection for travellers.

"It is a disgrace that these rogue travel agents are preying on vulnerable people at such an important time in their lives and we will do everything we can to protect these travellers.

"Our advice to anyone contemplating making the Hajj is that there are many legitimate tour operators providing this service, so if anything does go wrong there are agreed procedures and redress schemes available."

Khalid Pervez, General Secretary of ABH, said: "I welcome the initiative taken by Trading Standards to protect vulnerable, elderly and sick Hajj travellers who have been suffering from extreme exploitation and mental anguish at the hands of rogue tour operators.

"It is vital that all Hajj tour and travel operators are made to comply with Package Travel Regulations 1992, which requires them to provide a written contract of the package detailing travel and accommodation to their clients, and that the tour operators must not supply any misleading information to pilgrims regarding travel, accommodation and other arrangements."

.....return

---

Warning over Hajj pilgrimage rip-offs

The government has warned British Muslims embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia this year to be on their guard against scams and rip-offs. Up to 50,000 Britons make the pilgrimage each year, but ministers have become concerned with the growing problem of unscrupulous travel agents cashing in on religious devotion.

Hotel and flight deals can cost more than £3,000, and every year hundreds fall victim to a variety of scams: paying for a five-star hotel near the Masjid al-Haram (the mosque that is a focal point of the event), but getting a tiny room far from the centre of Mecca; visas and flight tickets not arriving; and in extreme cases agents disappearing with their money.

Consumer affairs minister Gareth Thomas convened a conference of travel agents, community groups and consumer organisations last month, and told them that the government aimed to 'help pilgrims avoid booking with rogue travel agents, and to get redress when they fall foul of those who break the law'.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is planning a poster campaign in community centres and mosques aimed at improving awareness of consumer rights, and stressing the need to check that a tour operator to December's Hajj holds an Air Travel Organiser's Licence (Atol), that any company booked with is a member of a trade organisation such as Abta and to keep all documents such as contracts and invoices in case of later problems.

One of the groups that flagged up the problem, the Association of British Hujjaj, welcomed the move, saying the 'vast majority' of Hajj travel operators were one-man operations and 'simply opportunists who are looking for monetary gain by taking advantage of the vulnerable'. Last year, it handed a petition signed by 5,000 Hajj travellers to the government.

Dr Nadim Nayyar, from Liversedge in West Yorkshire, booked last year through a Luton-based firm, Go4 Hajj. His party of nine paid for a luxury package costing £32,000. Just 48 hours before they were due to depart, Nayyar discovered their Saudi Arabian visas had not been obtained by the company. 'Our Hajj was over. I felt totally devastated,' he said.

'The pre-Hajj seminar, where we were supposed to meet other travellers, kept on getting delayed. Then we found that our flights had been altered from scheduled to chartered, changing in Bahrain. Then we found out they couldn't get the five-star hotels they had promised, and we were being downgraded.'

After learning that their trip was cancelled, Nayyar and 60 other pilgrims who had been let down were told the firm had no assets left to refund them, although he eventually recovered his money through Go4 Hajj's Atol cover.

'This is not just a package holiday, but an obligatory religious visit, so people tend to be far too trusting,' said Nayyar. 'I think that's where we fell down.'

.....return

---

Pilgrims urged to take preventative measures

By Asian Image reporter

British pilgrims going on the annual Hajj are being urged to take preventative measures against diseases.

Lord Philip Hunt OBE, Government Minister was addressing a Pre Hajj Health & Safety seminar organised by The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK in Birmingham to raise awareness of health and safety issues amongst Hajj pilgrims.

Lord Ahmed of Rotherham was given the Meningitis Vaccination in front of prospective pilgrims to highlight the importance of being vaccinated against Meningitis.

He also urged the prospective Hajj pilgrims “that they must make sure they get vaccinated against Meningitis before leaving for Hajj.”

Senior doctors from ABH, Dr Rashid Bhatti and Dr Sayed Raza Hussain have warned all prospective pilgrims that they should safeguard against the additional risks to their health such as Meningitis, Hepatitis and other communicable diseases due to the over crowding at the ceremonies, accommodation sites and public transport.

Dr Sayed Raza Hussain said, “The communicable diseases can be transmitted through direct person-to-person contact with droplets of nasal or throat secretions of infected individuals.

"Close and prolonged contact (e.g. sneezing and coughing on someone, etc.) facilitates the spread of infection.

"The most common symptoms specifically for meningitis are stiff neck, high fever, and sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting.

"Therefore, it is vital that all travellers must get ‘quadrivalent meningococcal’ vaccine (ACWY vac) before leaving for Saudi Arabia.

"A valid certificate for the Meningitis vaccine from your doctor is compulsory in order to obtain a visa from the Saudi Embassy.”

Dr Rashid Bhatti advised pilgrims “Some barbers around the Holy places pose a risk of spreading diseases such as Hepatitis and other blood-borne pathogens by using the same razors repeatedly.” He also warned pilgrims to be “aware of the risk of using the services provided by these barbers and must insist that the barbers use disposable razors to shave.”

A large number of pilgrims were in attendance along with Steve McCabe MP, John Hemming MP, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, representatives from various Government departments and community dignitaries from all walks of life.

.....return

---

Hajji Camp For Prospective British Hajj Pilgrims- A Huge Success!!

The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK a national Hajj specific voluntary organisation, held a Hajji Camp over the weekend which was broadcast live throughout the UK and in over 160 countries worldwide. The purpose of this event was to give advice to prospective British Hajj pilgrims and raise their awareness of pre travel health and safety issues to enable them to perform a safe Hajj pilgrim in the best possible manner.

Every year, over 25,000 British Hajj Pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.  A substantial number of these Hajj pilgrims suffer hardship and difficulties’ including the tragic loss of human lives as a result of stampedes, traffic accidents and outbreaks of Meningitis and other infectious diseases. 

Lord Phil Hunt OBE, Deputy Leader of the House and Government Minister, during his address to the prospective pilgrims paid “tribute to the Association of British Hujjaj.” He further went on to say that “so much progress has been made very much due to the Association and the tremendous work it has done. First of all for raising the attention of government to the issues that have to be faced but secondly its campaign on health and safety awareness amongst many pilgrims going back to 1998.” He also said that “I find it outrageous that on what should be a profoundly significant event in anyone’s life going on pilgrimage, should be undermined by a small minority of unscrupulous tour operators.” He urged the prospective pilgrims to report any violation of tour and travel legislations by unscrupulous tour and travel operators and send their complaints to the local trading standards for further investigation.

The Patron of The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK, Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham during his address at the event expressed “how proud I am to be here again supporting the work of The Association of British Hujjaj. This is a unique conference.  This is probably the only type of conference in the whole of the Western World, when you have got Government Departments, politicians, the local community, the imams, the scholars and doctors who come and give advice to the community and they don’t just do it once.  They do it from the House of Lords and House of Commons. They remind the community and prospective pilgrims annually on the responsibility that they have.” He thanked the Government and its department for their support and he strongly condemned unscrupulous and rogue tour and travel operators and said, “When you are paying the best price, you should also expect the highest standards from those people as well!” Lord Ahmed was given the Meningitis vaccination by Dr Sayed Raza Hussain from ABH in front of prospective Hajj pilgrims to highlight the importance of getting vaccinated against Meningitis before going for Hajj.

The event turned out to be a huge success with a large number of prospective pilgrims along with community dignitaries from all walks of life were in attendance. Lord Mayor of Birmingham Cllr Abdul Rashid, Steve McCabe MP Hall Green, Birmingham, John Hemming MP Yardley, Birmingham also addressed the prospective Hajj pilgrims and assured their support on the issues that were raised. Senior officials from Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Trading Standards also briefed the participants through their presentations on the ‘Package Travel Regulations (PTRs) 1992’ and participants were urged to keep all their documents provided by their tour operators and to make photographic evidence in case their tour/travel operator does not comply with their contractual commitments.  Maqsood Ahmed from the Race, Faith and Cohesion Directorate, Communities and Local Government department also participated at this event and ABH on behalf of the community acknowledges all its help and support.

.....return

---

Hajj scam sends shockwaves

The Asian News

A HAJJ tour operator has left 300 prospective pilgrims out of pocket after fleeing with over a million pounds it has been claimed.

The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK said the London based tour operator has left people angry and distraught following the scam and have said they have been "disgusted" that someone could take advantage of vulnerable and innocent people including the sick and elderly.

The Association has written to the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and Members of House of Lords and MPs strongly urging them to help the distressed victims and protect prospective British Hajj pilgrims by taking decisive action to crack down and eradicate unscrupulous rogue tour and travel operators from the Hajj travel industry.

A spokesperson said: "We strongly urge all community organisations to make every effort to protect the sanctity of Hajj and Umrah.

"The pilgrims need to be protected from the worsening situation of exploitation and fraudulent activities by unscrupulous and rogue travel/tour operators."

The Metropolitan Police have set up a helpline for all those who have been a victim of this crime. To report an incident or to gain updates call 0208 217 4947 or contact The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK on 0121 440 1700 for further help and advice.

.....return

---

British Muslims Congratulate Ummah and Pilgrims on a Safe Hajj

The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (ABH), a National Hajj specific organisation working for the welfare and wellbeing of Hajj/Umrah pilgrims, congratulates the Muslim Ummah and millions of pilgrims from all over the world on performing a safe Hajj this year. The Muslim community expresses its delight and satisfaction that there have been no major incidents or tragedies reported during this year’s Hajj.

“All the credit goes to The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for all their hard work by providing the best level of services to ensure the safety and welfare of the Guests of Allah.” Said Khalid Pervez, General Secretary of ABH.

 Unfortunately there is accumulated evidence that Hajj pilgrims experience significant difficulties and problems due to ignorance, lack of awareness of pre-travel Health & Safety precautions and understanding the needs of good preparation for the journey to perform Hajj & Umrah. Therefore, it is vital to avoid any future tragedies; we must make every effort to promote an awareness culture amongst prospective Hajj/Umrah pilgrims.  

A Hajj training course can be devised in consultation with Religious Scholars and Health & Safety experts from the Muslim world. This training course should be made compulsory for every prospective Hajj pilgrim. All relevant Governments/Authorities must ensure that all prospective pilgrims from their country are being trained and educated to the requirements of this course in order to enable them to perform the Hajj in the safest and best possible manner.

ABH expresses its grave concern about the dismal situation of unprofessional conduct by certain Hajj tour and travel companies from many countries during pre Hajj arrangements for prospective Hajj pilgrims. ABH also condemns in the strongest terms the growing culture of fraudulent and illegal activities which cause severe hardship and difficulties to the prospective Hajj pilgrims.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and relevant governments all over the world are strongly urged to take appropriate action to protect the vulnerable and innocent including the sick and elderly from being exploited and suffering from pain and misery. There is a desperate need to set up a independent, international organisation under the umbrella of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to address these Hajj related issues that are affecting millions of people from all over the world every year.

.....return

---

Hajj Pilgrims (UK Tour Operators)

Roger Godsiff MP Member of Parliament for Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath House of Commons, London SW1A OAA

25 Mar 2009

Mr. Roger Godsiff (Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath) (Lab): I am grateful to have the opportunity to raise this issue, which is of particular importance to many Muslims in my constituency. I extend a warm welcome to my good friend, my hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Claire Ward), who has been asked by the Government to respond to the debate.

The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world. Making the pilgrimage—the Hajj—is the fifth pillar of Islam, and an obligation rests on all Muslims to carry out that pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime, providing that they are fit enough to do so and can afford to. For Muslims, the Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people. It takes place over a four-day period in late November or December, depending on the Islamic calendar.

Every year, more than 150,000 British Muslim pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia as part of the 1.7 million Muslims who go there from all over the world. The Hajj pilgrimage is greatly looked forward to in the Muslim world and should be a time of enjoyment and self-fulfilment. However, for some British Muslims, the experience turns into an expensive disaster due to the activities of rogue travel operators, who either fraudulently take money from clients and disappear, or promise a five-star package pilgrimage that turns out to be nothing of the kind. Sadly, many of the people who have been ripped off by rogue travel agencies come from my constituency.

For example, in November 2008, one of my constituents handed over a cheque for £4,500 to the owner of Qibla travel. The cheque was cashed and my constituent, who was paying for his mother and father to go on the Hajj, was told that they would fly out on a specific flight. Just before they were due to leave, they were told that the owner of Qibla travel had disappeared with the money and passports, which he said he needed in order to get the visa put in them. No flight existed and no visa applications were made. Although that incident has been the subject of a police investigation—I am pleased to say that the passports have been returned—it is not an isolated incident. Another example is that of a company that was paid £10,000 by a family to make arrangements for them to go on the Hajj pilgrimage. Again, the flights and bookings never materialised.

The Foreign Office has set up a special unit to deal with British pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj festival, which is greatly appreciated by the Muslim community. It has worked with organisations such as the Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK, whose general secretary, Khalid Pervez, operates from offices in my constituency. Advice is offered to would-be pilgrims by the Foreign Office, by the association and by officers from Birmingham city council’s trading standards department, who have been particularly helpful in giving advice to pilgrims and in trying to assist victims of rogue travel operators.
The problem, however, is that many people who go on the Hajj pilgrimage feel more comfortable dealing with travel agencies run by members of their own community, whom they believe, as Muslims, will understand more clearly what the pilgrimage is about and what is required. The average cost of a pilgrimage is £2,500 per person, so there is a strong inclination to look for the cheapest deal on offer.

The Package Travel Regulations 1992 oblige any operator who offers a package tour combined with air travel to have an air traffic organiser’s licence—ATOL. That provides some protection so that passengers whose travel agent goes into liquidation or defaults on its obligations can be refunded or flown home. The Association of British Travel Agents—ABTA—is a trade organisation. Although it offers a degree of protection for customers and travel agents that are members of ABTA should they go bust, there is no obligation on travel agents to be a member of that organisation.

Many of the clients who seek to go on the Hajj pilgrimage are not aware of the Package Travel Regulations and do not know the rules and regulations regarding air traffic organiser’s licences. They are unaware of the status of ABTA. Furthermore, if the accommodation that is allegedly being booked is separate from a scheduled flight, there is ambiguity as to whether the flight and separate accommodation are covered by ATOL. The loophole allows rogue travel operators not only to default in terms of promised scheduled flights, but also to give inflated promises about the quality of the accommodation that will be provided during the stay in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrims are in a position to complain only once they return to the United Kingdom, but by then, the rogue travel operator has often ceased trading or disappeared.

A feeling exists within the Muslim community that, although the Foreign Office is trying to be helpful in looking after the interests of Hajj pilgrims and liaising with the Saudi Arabian Government to ensure that British Muslims are properly treated while in that county, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has a “soft” approach to the problem.

The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK has made clear its belief that all travel agents should be members of ABTA and should be required to provide a bond to that organisation to be used as compensation for travellers who are given inferior accommodation or arrangements to those promised when the booking was made. It is aware that a large number of small tour operators in Birmingham—and in other parts of the country, such as Watford—might have difficulty in meeting the stringent requirements laid down by ABTA. However, it believes that if such stringent regulations result in a number of small tour operators going out of business, it will be a price worth paying to ensure that some of the most blatant abuses that pilgrims have suffered are no longer tolerated. If such abuses do happen, compensation could be paid and the operator can be deregistered by ABTA, which, in effect, would mean that it was forced out of business. Although the voluntary approach of encouraging tour operators and travel agents to become members of ABTA has resulted in more Hajj tour operators registering, there are still many who have not done so. Rogue elements who intend to deceive trusting clients will obviously not seek to register.

Through the consumer affairs Minister, the Government have made it clear that they want to help pilgrims avoid booking with rogue travel agents. They have said that pilgrims should book with “a member of ABTA or other recognised trade organisation.”

However, the rip-off continues and for some, a once-in-a-lifetime experience is turned into a huge, expensive disappointment. The DBERR website claims that it leads the better regulation agenda; I contend that this area needs better regulation. The Muslim community in this country would strongly welcome a Government commitment to considering what further regulation and legislation could be enacted to address the problem of unscrupulous travel agents.

Some people might say that individual would-be pilgrims should take responsibility for whom they booked with, and that further regulation would be another step towards a nanny state, but I would remind them that the Government commendably introduced a scheme in response to widespread concern within the Muslim community about rogue immigration advisers who were misleading people about immigration matters and ripping them off. The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 forced anyone who was taking money for giving immigration advice to be registered with the newly created Immigration Services Commission. Section 91 of the Act made it a criminal offence, punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment, to provide immigration advice or services in contravention of the scheme. The Government then were able to recognise that the growing Muslim population in the UK was vulnerable to being ripped off by rogue immigration advisers, and took welcome steps to address that problem, so why can this Government not recognise the vulnerability of the Muslim community to rogue travel agents, and take steps to strengthen the regulations and laws?

The Under-Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, South (Ian Pearson), who should have replied to the debate, has more pressing affairs of state to attend to today. However, this short debate will be enhanced by his absence, because his most intelligent, charming and delightful replacement, my hon. Friend the Member for Watford, knows this issue well, as she, too, has a sizeable Muslim community in her constituency. I therefore hope that she will take this unusual opportunity to liberate herself of the departmental brief that she has been given and to speak from the heart about the problems being caused in her Muslim community by rogue travel agents. I hope that she will agree with—or perhaps be persuaded or even enticed by—me and the Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK regarding how this problem should be addressed. If she consigned the departmental position to the waste bin, abandoned her brief and bravely spoke out, she would rightly earn the thanks and continued support of the Muslim community in Watford and the rest of the country.

11.13 am
Vice-Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household (Claire Ward):
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath (Mr. Godsiff) on securing the debate and on taking this opportunity to raise awareness in the House about problems within this sector. As he has said, I know about the issue from my constituency work. I know that he has raised concerns about the matter in the past and that he fights hard for his constituents—not only his Muslim constituents, as in this case, but those across the board.

I am grateful to have this opportunity to outline the action that the Government have taken in the two years since they learned of the problems being experienced by Hajj pilgrims. The Government take this matter very seriously, and we have been saddened to learn of the suffering and inconvenience experienced by Hajj pilgrims at the hands of rogue tour operators in the UK. My hon. Friend has mentioned one incident concerning Qibla travel, which is, as he has said, under police investigation—and rightly so. We hope that there will be a good outcome for most of his constituents who have suffered in that case.

The problem is particularly pernicious given that the Hajj and Umrah are a religious obligation on Muslims, for many of whom those journeys are the trip of a lifetime and cost a considerable amount of money. In the past two years, my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Development and Consumer Affairs and his officials have been working with colleagues from other Departments and the trading standards service with a view to encouraging better practice in the Hajj travel industry. Importantly, they have also been raising pilgrims’ awareness about what they should expect of package organisers, about their rights of redress under the law and about who to complain to if things go wrong. My hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath is right to express concern that until now the Muslim community has not generally been aware of its rights or about where to go to express concerns.

The Government’s view is that problems in the sector are not due to a lack of regulation, as Hajj trip organisers are as liable to regulation as any other package organiser and Hajj pilgrims have exactly the same rights as anyone else going on a package trip. In many cases, people who have used organisers’ services have not understood the true extent of their rights. Under package travel regulations, tour operators must ensure that all descriptions on brochures and internet sites are accurate, that the customer is given information about passports, visas and health and security issues, that the customer is informed in good time about significant changes to the trip, such as changes to flight details or itineraries, and that the customer receives a written copy of the terms of the contract for the trip. The operator must also be able to show that it has in place measures for the protection of consumer payments. In these cases, protection would be in the form of an air travel organiser’s licence, which ensures that customer pre-payments are protected and that customers can be repatriated if the tour operator suffers financial collapse. Local authority trading standards departments have day-to-day enforcement responsibilities for the regulations, and the ATOL system is run by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Enforcement activity is generally driven by consumer complaints. Previously, it seemed that only a few of the Hajj pilgrims who had suffered at the hands of rogue operators were informing the relevant authorities. I would be interested to hear how many cases were brought to my hon. Friend longer ago and whether people believed that they simply had to put up with what had happened and thought that there was nowhere for them to go. Clearly, many people now know to go their Member of Parliament or to trading standards. It was clear, previously, that the key to improving the situation lay with raising consumers’ awareness about their rights and about what to do when things go wrong.

For two years in a row, my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Development and Consumer Affairs has written to hon. Members asking them to contact their local mosques and Muslim community groups. He has also issued a number of press releases, which have received good coverage in Muslim national and regional press. Trading standards departments have also issued warnings to the public about the risk from rogue tour operators. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has also produced two well-received information leaflets—one for pilgrims thinking of booking a Hajj or Umrah trip, and one for Hajj travel organisers. If my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath would like access to more such leaflets to provide his constituents with information, officials from the Department will assist with that.

Mr. Godsiff: I am grateful for that offer, but I am not short of leaflets. Will my hon. Friend clarify something for me? If a travel agent books a scheduled flight for a customer who wants to go to Hajj and books the accommodation separately, is it covered by ATOL regulations?

Claire Ward: If a travel agent books a package that includes a scheduled flight, it must be an ATOL member. In that instance, therefore, the consumer—the constituent perhaps in my hon. Friend’s case—would be covered by the protections offered by ATOL.

As my hon. Friend has said, the Hajj period is slightly flexible and tends to be around the end of the year. Officials from DBERR and the Civil Aviation Authority attended several regional events organised by pilgrim groups to talk about pilgrims’ rights and protection. The cross-Government group recently met with the two main groups representing UK Hajj pilgrims—the Association of British Hujjaj and the Council of British Hajis—to take their views on Government action this year. Both those organisations do valuable work to help pilgrims to enjoy fulfilling and safe trips. The Minister for Trade, Development and Consumer Affairs will shortly be writing to all UK mosques and other Muslim organisations to continue to raise awareness of the law both for pilgrims and the smaller Hajj travel organisers. We will also look at the best ways of raising awareness in the weeks preceding Hajj.

Trading standards departments have also been involved in raising awareness, and Birmingham trading standards has been particularly active in issuing press releases and talking to local pilgrims’ groups and operators. There are signs that the overall message is getting through. The numerous complaints received last year by Luton trading standards after the collapse Go4 Hajj seem to indicate that our work to publicise the issue has had some impact on members of the Muslim community.

As well as raising the awareness of pilgrims, the Government have begun to engage with the Hajj travel industry. There are many good operators, but there is clearly an element that is disorganised and unprofessional. This is not an easy business to be in. There are many unpredictable elements to the relatively complicated arrangements for Hajj in Saudi, but that does not explain the fact that, in many cases, pilgrims are simply misled about the nature, quality and facilities of the trip that they have bought—usually for several thousands of pounds. Last year the Minister for Trade, Development and Consumer Affairs, hosted a summit for Hajj travel organisers. That was held to deliver our message about their responsibilities and to hear their views on how they believe the sector can improve its reputation and achieve greater consumer confidence.

Since that event, the Civil Aviation Authority has reported that it has received an increasing number of applications for air travel organisers’ licences from Hajj trip organisers. Many licences have now been granted, which extends the financial protection of pilgrims travelling to Hajj. My hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath asked whether the travel operators should be members of the Association of British Travel Agents. There is no legal requirement for them to be a member of a trade association, which is essentially what ABTA is. However, they should be members of ABTA, and membership is encouraged by the industry. In essence, the bonding that ABTA provides would not necessarily improve the quality of service or compensate for the poor services that are perhaps provided by some travel operators. However, as I have stated, membership of ATOL would give some financial protection where scheduled flights are part of an overall package.

As I mentioned, Birmingham trading standards has been actively engaged in discussions with local travel operators and, last week, Tower Hamlets trading standards invited local operators to an awareness-raising seminar. There is a greater awareness, and trading standards are taking up the issue and promoting it within communities. This year, we are pressing ahead with engagement with the industry and hope to explore the possibility of achieving a degree of effective self-regulation. We hope that the responsible tour operators can help to banish the poor image and the poor operators from the sector by setting out for pilgrims their commitment to proper behaviour and standards.

Over the past year, we have also forged links with the Saudi embassy in relation to the issue. The embassy is responsible for issuing entry visas to UK Hajj pilgrims. Visas are only available via certain Saudi approved Hajj tour operators and travel agents. The Saudi embassy has agreed to ensure that the list contains only ATOL registered companies in the future. I hope, again, that my hon. Friend sees that as a significant step forward in providing some protection to his constituents, as well as to my constituents and others throughout the country.

I hope that I have shown that the Government take the issue seriously. We appreciate that some UK pilgrims continued to be subject to unacceptable behaviour at the Hajj last year and that that is a continued cause for concern. There is no quick answer to that, but we have seen some signs of progress. In initiating the debate, my hon. Friend has yet again put the issue on the agenda and ensured that, where it is relevant, there is an opportunity for trading standards across the country to promote the importance of protection for Hajj pilgrims. He has also ensured that the issue of an improvement in the service and quality of the tour operators has been raised.

I am sure that all the parties concerned are hopeful that the various initiatives in which we are involved will help us to reach the point where the Hajj becomes a memorable and, as far as possible, trouble-free occasion for all. That is certainly something that my hon. Friend would like for his constituents, and I can assure him that it is something that I would like for mine—in fact, the Government wish to ensure that that is the case for all those who wish to take part in that important event within the Muslim calendar.
11.26 am

Sitting suspended.

.....return

---

Birmingham MP Slams Rogue Hajj Travel Agencies

26 March 2009

Birmingham MP, Roger Godsiff, has severely criticized the activities of rogue travel operators who either fraudulently take money from clients and disappear, or promise a five-star package pilgrimage that turns out to be nothing of the kind.

Mr Godsiff, who secured a Commons debate to highlight this matter which affects a great many of his own constituents commented; “Every year, more than 150,000 British Muslim pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia as part of the 1.7 million Muslims who go there from all over the world. The Hajj pilgrimage is greatly looked forward to in the Muslim world and should be a time of enjoyment and self-fulfilment. However, for some British Muslims, the experience turns into an expensive disaster due to the activities of rogue travel operators”. 

He praised the work that the Foreign Office has undertaken in setting up a special unit to deal with British pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj festival which is greatly appreciated by the Muslim community but went on to say:  “The problem, however, is that many people who go on the Hajj pilgrimage feel more comfortable dealing with travel agencies run by members of their own community, whom they believe, as Muslims, will understand more clearly what the pilgrimage is about and what is required.

Mr Godsiff believes however that  what is really needed is better regulation. He said: “The Muslim community in this country would strongly welcome a Government commitment to considering what further regulation and legislation could be enacted to address the problem of unscrupulous travel agents”

The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK has made clear its belief that all travel agents should be members of ABTA - The Association of British Travel Agents -  and should be required to provide a bond to that organisation to be used as compensation for travellers who are given inferior accommodation or arrangements to those promised when the booking was made..

For further information contact: 07732 469082

Ian Hughes
Researcher to Roger Godsiff MP
Tel 0207 219 5191
Fax 0207 219 2221
hughesi@parliament.uk

.....return

---

World Meningitis Day Warning To Hajj/Umrah Pilgrims, UK

Every year over 125,000 British Hajj/Umrah pilgrims along with millions of people from all over the world, including pilgrims from countries in the traditional african meningitis belt, travel to Saudi Arabia to perform pilgrimage. In such environments British pilgrims are at risk of infections including meningococcal disease because of crowded conditions at ceremonies, accommodation sites and on public transport.

As a result of an outbreak of meningococcal infection during Hajj pilgrimage there was a tragic loss of over 20 innocent lives amongst British Hajj pilgrims in recent years in the UK. Therefore the health experts from Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK in support of the first world Meningitis Day on 25th April 2009, issues a strong warning to all prospective Hajj/Umrah pilgrims that they must be vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis before travelling to Saudi Arabia.

The health experts warn the pilgrims that meningitis is a real and serious disease which is transmitted through direct person to person contact with droplets of nasal or throat secretions of infected individuals. Close and prolonged contact (e.g. sneezing and coughing on someone, etc.) facilitates the spread of infection. The most common symptoms are stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting.

Health experts also remind pilgrims that Meningitis vaccination is mandatory legal requirement by the Saudi authorities to issue them entry visa for Saudi Arabia.

Further advice and information about Meningitis is available from Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK, which is the Hajj specific National voluntary organisation and a registered charity working for the welfare and wellbeing of British Hajj/Umrah pilgrims and overseas travellers.

.....return

---

Take The Swine Flu Threat Seriously - British Hajj/Umrah Pilgrims Are Warned

Saudi Arabia's warning to elderly Muslims, pregnant women and children against undertaking Hajj/Umrah pilgrimage this year in view of rapidly spreading swine flu worldwide sent a shock wave amongst Muslim community in Britain.

However Health Experts from Association of British Hujjaj a National Hajj specific organisation UK offer their support to the precautionary measures taken by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and strongly urge elderly, pregnant women and children from UK to defer their pilgrimage until the availability of the Swine flu vaccine. British pilgrims have always been at high risk of infections due to the crowded conditions at ceremonies, accommodation sites and on public transport. Therefore pilgrims must follow the guidelines issued by the authorities and they should be vaccinated against the Swine Flu virus once this vaccine is available at least two weeks before their departure to perform pilgrimage.

Association of British Hujjaj also urge British Muslims community that they should be aware of symptoms of the swine flu disease and in case of fever, cough or shortness of breath, headache, sore throat, tiredness, aching muscles, chills, sneezing, runny nose or loss of appetite they should stay at home, call your GP and do not go into your GP surgery or emergency departments unless you are advised to do so, because you might spread the illness to others.

People are reminded to use clean tissues to cover their mouth and nose when they cough and sneeze and bin the tissues after use and also wash their hands with soap and hot water and this good hygiene practice should also be implemented while they are performing the pilgrimage.

"Take the swine flu threat seriously, be safe than sorry and contact your doctor before travelling" said the Health Experts in their joint statement.

.....return

---