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.
