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Is there an 'exodus' of noncompliant foreign workers?
BY PATRICK FOSTER Sunday Observer writer [email protected]
Sunday, November 25, 2007
GOVERNMENT'S clamp down on foreign nationals working in Jamaica without a permit have led to a rush on application renewals and an reported "exodus" of others unable to become compliant.
Since the expiration of a 10-day compliance deadline in mid-November, unconfirmed reports are that undocumented foreign nationals working in Jamaica have been leaving the island "in droves".
Minister of Labour, Pearnel Charles on Friday, however, refused to comment on the alleged exodus, saying only that he had heard that some airlines were "unable to handle the traffic".
The Sunday Observer was, up to press time, unable confirm this with the national airline, Air Jamaica, or any of the others operating in the island.
Meanwhile, Charles was, up to Friday night, signing hundreds of work permit applications for foreign nationals seeking to become compliant and to remain working in the island.
"Right now I am here signing hundreds of applications for renewal," Charles told the Sunday Observer shortly after 6:00 Friday evening.
In October, the labour minister charged that of 25,000 work permits granted by the previous government since 2002, only 5,000 of those persons could be accounted for.
Charles said that he did not know the compliance rate since the clampdown, but his ministry would find the offenders in time.
"Up to yesterday (last Thursday) people were picked up for not having a permit," Charles said, declining to provide figures.
"This is serious business," the minister added, explaining that an inspection team was gathering information on the status of foreign workers across the island.
"I will not divulge the security aspects but there is an inspection team on the road," he emphasised.
The minister also charged that people were obtaining valid permits, but doing jobs other than that which the permit allowed.
"We want to be sure that a worker who got a permit to do a job is actually doing that job," Charles asserted. He told the Sunday Observer that the majority of work permits granted were for jobs in the construction and hotel sectors.
Charles, meanwhile, defended his hard line position, saying that in many instances expatriates were brought in the island for jobs that Jamaicans were qualified to do.
"If there is a Jamaican here who can do the job, we will have to protect the Jamaican workers," said Charles.
On October 18, the government gave foreign nationals working here without valid work permits 10 days to report to the labour ministry to have their status assessed, or face deportation.
"We know of 5,000 persons living here with work permits, but we don't even know if the other 20,000 are still here," Charles said at that time.
He added that a number of persons whose work permits had expired were still working in Jamaica, and others were working here, illegally, while their permits were being processed.
"Only persons seeking renewals should be here while the application is being processed," said Charles.
The original deadline was extended for a further 10 days because of a unsatisfactory response and would have expired mid November.
In the meantime, Cabinet has agreed to increase the current penalty for breaches of the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens Employment Act from $200 or six months imprisonment to $500,000 or six months in jail.
BY PATRICK FOSTER Sunday Observer writer [email protected]
Sunday, November 25, 2007
GOVERNMENT'S clamp down on foreign nationals working in Jamaica without a permit have led to a rush on application renewals and an reported "exodus" of others unable to become compliant.
Since the expiration of a 10-day compliance deadline in mid-November, unconfirmed reports are that undocumented foreign nationals working in Jamaica have been leaving the island "in droves".
Minister of Labour, Pearnel Charles on Friday, however, refused to comment on the alleged exodus, saying only that he had heard that some airlines were "unable to handle the traffic".
The Sunday Observer was, up to press time, unable confirm this with the national airline, Air Jamaica, or any of the others operating in the island.
Meanwhile, Charles was, up to Friday night, signing hundreds of work permit applications for foreign nationals seeking to become compliant and to remain working in the island.
"Right now I am here signing hundreds of applications for renewal," Charles told the Sunday Observer shortly after 6:00 Friday evening.
In October, the labour minister charged that of 25,000 work permits granted by the previous government since 2002, only 5,000 of those persons could be accounted for.
Charles said that he did not know the compliance rate since the clampdown, but his ministry would find the offenders in time.
"Up to yesterday (last Thursday) people were picked up for not having a permit," Charles said, declining to provide figures.
"This is serious business," the minister added, explaining that an inspection team was gathering information on the status of foreign workers across the island.
"I will not divulge the security aspects but there is an inspection team on the road," he emphasised.
The minister also charged that people were obtaining valid permits, but doing jobs other than that which the permit allowed.
"We want to be sure that a worker who got a permit to do a job is actually doing that job," Charles asserted. He told the Sunday Observer that the majority of work permits granted were for jobs in the construction and hotel sectors.
Charles, meanwhile, defended his hard line position, saying that in many instances expatriates were brought in the island for jobs that Jamaicans were qualified to do.
"If there is a Jamaican here who can do the job, we will have to protect the Jamaican workers," said Charles.
On October 18, the government gave foreign nationals working here without valid work permits 10 days to report to the labour ministry to have their status assessed, or face deportation.
"We know of 5,000 persons living here with work permits, but we don't even know if the other 20,000 are still here," Charles said at that time.
He added that a number of persons whose work permits had expired were still working in Jamaica, and others were working here, illegally, while their permits were being processed.
"Only persons seeking renewals should be here while the application is being processed," said Charles.
The original deadline was extended for a further 10 days because of a unsatisfactory response and would have expired mid November.
In the meantime, Cabinet has agreed to increase the current penalty for breaches of the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens Employment Act from $200 or six months imprisonment to $500,000 or six months in jail.
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