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Bahrain denies reports of human trafficking

Xinhua, May 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

Bahrain's immigration authorities on Saturday denied reports claiming that Indian women were sold "like products" for just 5,850 U.S. dollars in Saudi Arabia and 2,925 dollars in Bahrain.

The statement came after a report was published in The Independent on Thursday in which India's welfare minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy claimed that women from the southern Andhra Pradesh region of India were being held in horrific conditions in Gulf state jails after fleeing their husbands and employers.

The minister claimed that 25 women were currently in Gulf jails and Indian government would send ministers to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain next month to investigate.

Responding to the claims, Bahrain's Nationality, Passport and Residence Affairs (NPRA) on Saturday denied the reports claiming human trafficking of members of the Indian community in Bahrain.

"The authority reiterates its commitment to international anti-human trafficking conventions and related national legislations regarding entry regulations into Bahrain," the NPRA said in a statement.

The NPRA urged the media "to seek information from reliable sources before publishing news, especially news that may harm the rights of individuals." Endit