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Welsh council under fire over Covid restrictions at Traveller site

Traffic passes a ‘local Covid-19 rules apply’ sign displayed along the A494 near Queensferry in Flintshire.
A council has been accused of discrimination for hiring a private security firm to enforce coronavirus restrictions at a caravan site after some residents tested positive.
Security guards monitored dozens of Traveller families at the Riverside site in Queensferry, north Wales, between 20 and 22 January, demanding their reasons for entering and leaving, according to Liberty Investigates, an investigative journalism unit of the human rights organisation Liberty.
The security firm was deployed after Public Health Wales recommended the entire caravan site be designated an “extended household” as it had “significant clusters” of Covid-19 and some families were unwilling or unable to self-isolate, Flintshire council said.
A video posted by reality TV star Paddy Doherty, who lives at the site and was treated in hospital with the virus earlier in January, shows a council-hired security guard saying: “We’re trying to stop them from going out … we’re trying to protect them and other people. We don’t want them coming in and out and passing the Covid. They need to realise how severe the Covid is.”
Police were called to a standoff at the site between guards and residents trying to leave at 8am on 22 January. The council then withdrew the firm.
Flintshire council said it had consulted residents and a community spokesman before dispatching the guards, which it called a “welfare/security team”, but confirmed it did not obtain residents’ consent to treat the site as an extended household as it “was not for discussion”. Relevant partner agencies agreed to this decision under devolved legislative powers, it said.The action – which meant all residents being asked to stay on-site even if they had tested negative and lived in separate caravans from positive cases – was taken to protect public health, it said.
It is understood some residents welcomed the move, but others expressed concerns on social media.
“I
Yvonne MacNamara, the CEO of Traveller Movement, said they were alarmed by this incident, which has caused “great distress and anger” among some residents.
“The government has been extremely slow disseminating information about the coronavirus to Gypsy and Traveller people, and we feel this incident reflects that poor communication.
“We also find it worrying that the Coronavirus Act is being exploited in this way, literally imprisoning an entire community of people into their homes. This would not happen to the settled community. Imagine if we imprisoned everyone in the local housing estate or tower block because a few of the residents tested positive. It’s an infringement of human rights.”
MacNamara added: “We also have concerns that this is not an isolated incident, and that many Traveller sites will be targeted in the same way.”
Trudy Aspinwall, team manager at the advocacy project Travelling Ahead, run by charity TGP Cymru, said: “Gypsy and Traveller sites are places of residence where families live on a permanent basis. I cannot envisage a situation where it would be acceptable to treat any other group of residents in this way <…> It’s a very, very worrying precedent to set.”
When posting the video clip showing the guards to Facebook, Paddy Doherty appeared to welcome them. But on Thursday, he told Liberty Investigates that although the guards were civil: “There was no need for security to be there … It was like you were in an open prison … It was just a bit intimidating, police and security. What a waste of money.”
A spokesperson for Flintshire council told Liberty Investigates it acted under schedule 21 of the Coronavirus Act. Introduced in March last year, it grants Welsh public health officers the power to impose restrictions on people assessed as “potentially infectious” which are “necessary and proportionate” to protect public health.
But under the Equality Act, public authorities – such as Flintshire council – are also required to ensure they do not harass or victimise groups based on protected characteristics, such as their ethnicity.
Travellers and Gypsies – who face stark inequalities, including a life expectancy 10 years lower than the national average – are recognised as a protected ethnicity under the act.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission of Wales has written to the council to seek an explanation.
A spokesperson for Flintshire council said: “We made our decisions taking cognisance of the Equality Act and with consideration of each partner agencies’ respective duties.”
They added that residents were provided with food deliveries during the isolation period. “The majority of families respected what we were trying to achieve and the focus was on the health and well-being of all residents.”
source: Aamna Mohdin
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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