162 African nationals held in Bahrain in illegal residency crackdown

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

As many as 162 African nationals were held during a sweeping crackdown across various governorates of the Kingdom, days after citizens and residents made a distress call to clamp down on robbery and other criminal activities allegedly carried out by them.

Conducted mostly by Criminal Investigation Police of the General Department of Criminal Investigation and Evidence, the raids were in cooperation with the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs and the Security Directorates.

The multi-agency teams said they arrested the men for violating regulations and conditions of residency established in the Kingdom.

The General Department of Investigation and Criminal Evidence took necessary measures.

A few weeks ago, The Daily Tribune quoted many citizens and residents, who urged the authorities to clamp down on robbery and other criminal activities allegedly carried out by nationals of African countries after many videos showing their frightening behaviour went viral on all social media platforms.

Many videos showing nationals of African countries going berserk across various streets have been causing panic among the public.

There were media reports about robbery bids, unruly behaviour and beggary by the nationals of African countries.

Among them was a horrible attack on a taxi driver, who had a narrow escape at the hands of robbers.

In the latest horrifying video posted by @StFreakingKezy, two men, presumably African nationals, are seen engaged in a fistfight amidst several onlookers on a busy street.

The video also garnered several impatient reactions, with netizens calling on authorities to take action.

It is learnt that on the pretext of providing jobs in the Kingdom hundreds of youths from West African nations such as Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon have been duped by the fraudsters by handing over three-month multiple entry visit visas after taking amounts ranging between BD1,200 and BD1,500.

“I paid 1.5 million Nigerian Naira (BD1,350) to an agent in Lagos to reach here.

He said upon reaching here I would be offered jobs with salaries ranging between BD400 and BD500.

It has been a month now and everyday I walk at least 10 to 20 kms in the hot sun, searching for jobs,” a 23-year-old Nigerian national, a desperate jobseeker in the Kingdom, earlier told The Daily Tribune.

Social workers say that visa fraudsters are preying on not only jobseekers from Africa but also from South Asian countries including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

During the past few weeks, the Kingdom’s authorities have stepped up measures to tackle the functioning of human trafficking chains that bring in jobseekers in the guise of tourists.

The Kingdom now provides tourist visas, which can be obtained online by presenting a bank statement with a minimum account balance of BD300.

The visitor should also present return tickets as well as documents of hotel booking.

And people visiting their family members must present a copy of the resident’s CPR along with copies of power/ water bills.