Preliminary draft of amendments in travel ban law still under consideration

Muhammed Azam/DTNN

azam@dt.bh

Despite various calls made by parliamentarians, the proposed amendments in the Travel Ban law will be further delayed by a couple of months causing inconvenience to the subjects. According to Jamal Dawood, the Head of Public Utilities and Environment Committee in the Parliament, it could take at least a few more months to prepare the preliminary draft of the proposed amendments in the travel ban.

 Speaking to the DT News at the Parliament House, he said that the critical issue under consideration was the prospect of the misuse of law by some criminal minded people. Two months ago, Dawood sought two amendments in the existing Travel Ban Law at the Parliament. The proposal was backed by his fellow MPs Theyab Al Nuaimi, Abdulrahman Bumjaid, Majid Al Majid and Mohammed Milad.

 The Mps proposed fixing the minimum amount for travel ban to an amount of BD5000 and another clause demanding the person subjected to ban should be informed beforehand through an official letter. 

 The proposals were made following recurring reports that many people were informed only at the eleventh hour before their departure that they were under ban and could not travel which cause serious inconvenience. Some of them were put under travel ban for only BD54.

 Jamal Dawood said that they had been discussing this issue very seriously. He said that they were not getting any solution for the problem if an expat is allowed to travel with the liability of BD 5000 and he does not return.

 He said that they were pondering over different aspects. One of them is that if the employer or bank gives guarantee, he should be allowed and the second is that the amount should be decreased. Dawood said that they were trying hard to reach to some conclusions in this regard.

 Once the draft is completed, it will be sent to the Speaker who would refer it to the committee for review. After the approval of the committee it would be moved first in the Parliament session and then in Shura Council. If passed by both, then it would go to the government and after the signatures of His Majesty King Hamad it would become law.