Tuesday 8 October 2013

Pilgrims' Hajj dreams "shattered" after visas never arrived


Almost 200 Muslim families' "dreams have been shattered" after visas for their once-in-a-lifetime Hajj religious pilgrimage trips never arrived.

The families, mainly from north-west England, paid up to £5,000 per person to travel to Mecca before problems with visa numbers emerged.

Agents involved in organising travel packages dispute who is to blame and they are trying to refund customers. The families affected spent a total of almost £1m.

During a meeting in Manchester on Monday, trip regulator the Council of British Hajjis, urged victims to contact police.

Many families had booked through two Greater Manchester travel agents - Ashton Travel on Oldham Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, and City Travel on Dickenson Road, Manchester.

Humayun Khalid said Ashton Travel repeatedly promised him two visas would arrive in time for a flight on 5 October.

Mr Khalid, who paid more than £6,000 for the trips, said: "It not just about money, it's about everything. We were emotionally ready."

Babar Hussain, from Ashton Travel, said he was "absolutely devastated" and "totally embarrassed". He claimed there was no indication there was a problem with the visas until they went to collect them from another agent, Travel Star, and was told there were "no visas".

Mr Hussain apologised to customers, saying: "We are trying our level best because we have already asked for a refund of the tickets and we are taking professional advice and all the legal advice to indemnify losses." BBC News

18 comments:

Muslim Free School Threatened With Closure said...

.....................................

Great Big Melting Pot said...

Muslims are tolerant and Islam is a religion of peace, I know this to be true because I heard Tony Blair say so. Everyone knows that Labour politicians are beacons of integrity and honesty but I would like to ask a Labour politician if they feel that the Muslims only policy at Mecca is somewhat discriminatory. Considering the tolerant nature of Muslims and Islam it is surprising to see this apparent intolerance towards non-Muslims. It is obviously a mistake, but a little clarification as to how this mistake has gone unnoticed would be appreciated.

SerpentSlayer said...

So it is easier for Muslims to enter our country than to go on holiday in a Muslim one, that makes sense.

Anonymous said...

I would be very reluctant to do business with a shop that is involved in Western Union money transfers. Specially when it is a travel agent and is likely to be used to send money to other countries.

Many people use the service for honest reasons but so many times I have heard of dishonest people trying to sell access to compromised account data. In such actions you have to trust the person sending the money transfer and the person receiving it.

Anyone wanting to exploit it would find it easy to do with half a brain if they had access to certain devices.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Union#Scam_industry said...

I should say I am by no way implying that these shops are doing anything wrong. Just that they are notoriously exploited.

Anonymous said...

The Western Union system is open to exploitation. Imagine, persish the thought, that some of Labour's New Brits decided to claim benefits in countless different names and when they had amassed an enormous sum they wished to transfer it all back to their ancestral homelands. Sending it by bank transfer would leave a paper trail so what method could they use to transfer with no questions asked? Yes, that's right!

Home Land said...

This town ain't big enough for the both of us. And it ain't ME who's gonna leave.

tonydj said...

No Visas....Insallah.

Thick, spineless, traitorous or selfish said...

The EDL leaders have quit, cue lots of comments from the dumb indigenous population (i.e thick, wilfully blind or cowards) like: 'Good, this is England and we don't like any form of extremism. We all rub along together.'

Meanwhile back in the maternity wards.

Blood in the soil said...

Violence is always wrong.
Peace will lead to the destruction of our nation.

One of the above is incorrect.

Numbers Game said...

The latest major study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) into eductional standards of literacy and numeracy put British pupils near the very bottom of the international league. England was the ONLY country in the survey where results were going backwards - with the older cohort better than the younger.

This national catastrophe is the result of:
The disastrous education methods and policies of the last Labour government in particular.
The explosion in non-English/poor English speaking immigrants and their legions of offspring.

Cold Sick said...

@ Thick, spineless, traitorous or selfish: Don't forget the classic comments like - 'We British need to stand together with decent Muslims and fight all extremists.' Translation:

1) I'm genuinely so thick I haven't got a clue what's going on.
or:
2) Please don't hurt me master Muslim, you can have my country. I don't give a s**t about the future of my people just please don't hurt me.

the land of make believe said...

But that contradicts what my local councillor told me. He said immigrants bring massive benefits to this country and it is diversity which makes us the envy of the world.

UK terror warning said...

Meanwhile back in the UK.

Infestation Nation said...

It doesn't matter about a few 'Islamist' extremists. The only thing that matters is the Islamic reproductive rate and according to the last government's official figures, between 2004 and 2008 the Muslim birth rate grew TEN TIMES faster than any other group.

One in the womb, one in the pram, one walking said...

Imagine what Britain, and worse England, could be like in 20 years if something isn't done.
At the moment the future looks particularly bleak for women.

Anonymous said...

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

To the person who set up a bogus account and direct debit arrangement with New Call Telecom Ltd using my first name and address but adopting a fictitious surname - the incident has been reported to Hyde police and also to the company concerned in Burnley.

If there is any further nonsense I will publish ALL the culprit's details on the internet. And that includes his secret addresses.

Let us hope that is the end of the matter!

Anonymous said...

JESUS IS THE TRUTH!