Several foreigners in prostitution: Bahrain MP

Manama : Thousands of foreigners are working in prostitution in Bahrain, an MP claimed yesterday.

MP Jamal Dawood, who presented a proposal last November to immediately deport non-Bahrainis caught in cases related to prostitution, said yesterday that “over 700 individuals were arrested for their connection to prostitution during few months of 2015”.

Dawood also stated that prostitution in Bahrain is “a multi-million business.”

“Foreigners who are imprisoned for prostitution in Bahrain cost the country hundreds of million dinars. Each one of them cost us around BD500 monthly. It’s better to send them back to immediately deport them and ban their entry to the country forever,” Dawood commented.

This came while the council discussed yesterday Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee’s report on the proposal.

The committee had announced earlier that it rejects the proposal as it’s contradictory to human rights.

Committee Head Abdulla Binhowail said, “The proposal may harm individuals’ freedom by deporting them without issuing any judicial verdicts in their cases.”

However, Dawood requested his fellow lawmakers to vote against the committee’s decision and approve the proposal. Yet, majority of MPs supported the committee’s decision and rejected the proposal.