‘Bahamas refused entry to my girlfriend and her sister thinking they were sex workers’

AFTER two Moldovan women were refused entry to The Bahamas at Lynden Pindling International Airport, the boyfriend of one has turned to the international media to complain that officials here assumed the pair were sex workers.

Miami-based real estate developer Hal “Nuby” Sears, 64, told the New York Post that he had planned to propose to girlfriend Darina

Pinzaru, 25, during a voyage on his yacht last month – but she was refused entry to The Bahamas, along with her sister, Ina, 36.

He said they had been refused entry by a female immigration official, who reportedly told them: “I know why you’re here.”

The sisters reportedly had all necessary requirements for entry to The Bahamas, including hotel reservations and future itineraries.

The older sister was reportedly initially granted entry but then the younger sister was stopped. Both were then reportedly taken to the airport’s immigration office for questioning.

Darina told the New York Post: “We were treated like criminals. They even threatened to put us in jail.”

Mr Sears said the Four Seasons’ Ocean Club head of security joined him at the airport and spoke to the head immigration officer but he said they were told: “They’re not in, they are out… I have information, they’re not coming in.”

Older sister Ina said to the New York Post: “This lady, the head of immigration, came out and she said ‘Yeah, I know your culture. I know why you’re here. We don’t want you here, and you’ll never set foot on Bahamian land.”

Ina said she could only assume that the head of immigration thought they were sex workers. Both sisters were put on a flight back to London. A complaint has reportedly been filed with the Bahamas embassy in London. Mr Sears told the New York Post that he wanted an apology from the Bahamas government, “but we’re never going to get it”.