Jamaica writes to Bahamas over profiling of women

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade says it has written to the Baha-mian government in relation to the recent detention of 11 Jamaican women in Nassau.

The women were reportedly held on suspicion of solicitation and breaches of the Immigration Act.

In a statement yesterday afternoon, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said the Honorary Consul of Jamaica in The Bahamas, Patrick Hanlan has visited and interviewed the women who were held over the weekend.

The ministry says Hanlan was able to secure the release of the women within 48 hours.

However, the Ministry say it is concerned that the women may have been unfairly profiled for arrest and were not afforded proper treatment while in detention.

It also said it has written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of The Bahamas to advise of the concerns.

In the meantime, the Foreign Affairs Ministry says it deplores the fact that at least one Jamaican news outlet carried the story of the arrest, accompanied by a potentially misleading file photograph that had nothing to do with the actual incident.