Officers from the Department of Immigration carried out an operation on Tuesday 26 April 2005 with the assistance of the RCIP during which 15 people were arrested in the Eastern Avenue area for suspected offences under the Immigration Law.
Many were holders of work permits, and investigations are continuing to determine what further action needs to be taken against these individuals and their employers.
In an interview with Government Information Services the Chief Immigration Officer, Mr. Franz Manderson, expressed his concern at reports of significant numbers of persons in Grand Cayman who possess work permits but who are actually working for somebody else or who are not working at all and large numbers of persons living in unapproved accommodation. He was keen to reassure the public that he and his department are not ignoring these issues.
The refusal of 700 temporary work permits since January of this year, the success of the operation referred to above and the recent action taken against a group of 20 persons who were found in unapproved accommodation demonstrate the department’s efforts to combat these types of immigration crime.
Mr. Manderson went on to express particular concern over some practices that are being used by employers that are not only illegal but are putting others at significant disadvantage: ‘We have received reports that there are employers who take out work permits for employees when they do not have any work for them. These employees, who are often made to pay for their own work permits, are told to go out and find work for themselves and they must then pay their bogus employer a certain amount of their earnings each week.’
In many cases, Mr. Manderson said, the bogus employer is also not making the mandatory health insurance and pension contributions on behalf of the employee. ‘In this scenario all three parties, the bogus employer, the worker and the company or individual employing them illegally are committing offences under the Immigration Law 2003. This type of behavior will be investigated and offenders will be prosecuted.’
Mr. Manderson also emphasised that ‘such behavior is also putting those employers who play by the rules at a significant financial disadvantage and encourages them to do likewise. Your Immigration Department is intensifying its efforts to identify employers who break the rules in this way.’
Mr. Manderson continued that this will involve more operations by our Enforcement officers and changes will also be made to the requirements for temporary work permit applications.
‘I encourage all employers to think carefully about the declaration they make when submitting an application as those who are found to be making false statements will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, he said.
He appealed for the public’s cooperation and assistance: ‘We also need the help of the public and the many employers who are complying with the rules: if you know of a company or an individual who is conducting this unlawful and unacceptable practice, then let us know. By working together we can ensure that the system works as it is supposed to and nobody is disadvantaged.’
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