Another immigration probe underway
(CNS): Problems at the immigration department continue as another staff member is understood to be the subject of an internal investigation. This time the female officer concerned has not been placed on required leave but has been moved internally while other immigration officers conduct an investigation into the alleged infraction, which the acting chief immigration officer said was a suspected breach of workplace rules.
CNS recently received a number of reports that an immigration officer was suspected to have been involved in a possible marriage of convenience but Acting CIO Bruce Smith said that the Department of Immigration was not presently engaged in any such investigation on any member of staff, nor had he received any request from the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board to start a marriage of convenience investigation.
Smith, who is currently head of the beleaguered department while CIO Linda Evans remains on required leave due to unspecified allegations of abuse of office, said an internal investigation of an immigration officer is presently underway and, depending on the results of the internal probe, it may go further.
“I will not refrain from expanding the scope of this investigation based on the strength of evidence as we will go where the evidence leads us,” Smith told CNS in response to enquiries about the allegations. “We respect, and will pay close attention to, all information received and take great care in dealing with any other aspects or related allegations,” he added.
According to other sources, the officer concerned had recently married an individual who had been arrested by the immigration department for overstaying and questions had been raised about the veracity of the partnership. CNS was told that although an internal enquiry was opened, concerns were being raised that the investigators may have been guests at the wedding.
However, Smith stated that none of the investigators were at the recent marriage and, as an initial first step, the staff member concerned had been moved to another location away from the office conducting the enquiry.
“As is the path that we are mandated and will absolutely follow, the DoI is mindful of its mission and obligations to uphold transparency in all respects, and without fear or favour. We are mindful that concerns of potential conflicts of interests will rear its head from time to time but I am prepared to relieve public the concerns,” Smith stated.
The news of the latest possible infraction follows not only the chief immigration officer being put on required leave but also the suspension of the director of boards in relation to abuse of office allegations.
Meanwhile, the trial of Tichina Rickfield, a former acting work-permit board secretary, opened in the Grand Court this week. She is accused of making false documents and abuse of office in relation to a number of irregularities in the immigration database during 2009. She was suspended from her job in January 2010 and has been on paid required leave ever since.
Category: Crime, Immigration
As someone who was arrested & prosecuted by Immigration for an activity I was repeatedly told (by Immigration) was legal, I have first-hand knowledge of the coercion and actual physical abuse they can inflict. My confiscated property was never returned (nearly $10,000 worth!) after the case was settled, and complaints in writing to the former and current CIO were never addressed or even the courtesy of a reply received.
This department needs a thorough cleansing and much closer oversight. The abuses and corruption involved has major life-changing effects on many people who are subject to their whims and ultimate authority.
Wow Sorry for your troubles” it happens often” I have my own Immigration/enforcement story. I think so many are embarrassed or afraid to share because of further punishment.
Immigration Department needs an overhaul. Clean the closet! I would be interested in knowing what business the work permit board members own and their percentage of expat employment. I’m sure those permits don’t sit on the deferred desk for years at a time instead are promptly approved.
There is personal information given out daily by anyone behind an immigration desk to friends and family who simply ask.
Please contact the head of your country’s Embassy and at the least put your issue on record.
I will share my story gladly,
They arrested me for being a laborer but I wasn’t a laborer I was a sales associate so then they changed their charges to office worker doing sales work
The DPP has not ever looked at the charges. The DPP will not communicate with my attorney.
All Govt officials know about the fake charges
I have not been able to leave the island for over a year
I was arrested almost 2 years ago they tried to fine me almost $15000 to make charges go away
I cannot get a job and my employer fired me with out telling me or paying me. Enforcement suggested that I be fired or my employer would be charged.
The arrest to begin with was a favor by enforcement for a friend of the arresting officer.
I am pissed off to say the least
1) I’m encouraged by all of the investigating at Immigration. Yes its embarrassing but we all want Immigration (and everything else) running properly without fear or favour. So pour the investigations on and don’t beat Immigration for trying to make things right.
2) From what I’d heard of him previously I am hopeful that we’ll find the current acting Chief Immigration Officer will be able to straighten things out. But we will have to give him time to do so as right now he’s obviously in crisis mode just trying to manage staff with so many investigations clearly leading to more. (Especially if people now feel confident that actionable reports of maladministration will be acted upon.)
3) I encourage the staff at Immigration to retain their pride. The investigations shouldn’t be seen as an attack on the good staff but a chance to clear the problems and let good staff and a good Department flourish. – Stay professional.
What a mess!! I will just say one word though… Destiny!! 😉
I have to go to the Immigration Department at least 6 times for the year. Some days are better than others and some of the employees are better than others as well. Some try to be as professional as possible given the training that they have received and the resources available.
Once, I stood at the counter for more than half an hour whilst the clerk tried to deal with the computer that kept freezing. I was there yesterday and had barely sat down when my number was called. COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!!!!! I had to check my number twice.
However, when I call, I get through more than 90% of the time and the employees are able to answer my questions accurately.
So it all depends on the day, time and employee.
Thanks for a fair review.
Remind me please folks, which are the departments in the Cayman Islands Government Civil Service that are staffed (proudly and vocally) by nearly 100% Caymanians. Oh yes, thanks. The Immigration Department, the Postal Service, The Fire Department and Customs. Any comment, Ezzard?
That is the answer but the question is as follows. Of all the departments within the Civil Service are the most inept?
The harsh reality is that the way the Immigrations laws read and with their contradictions coupled with inadequacies, they in turn breed “marriages of convenience.”
Additionally, another self perpetuating problem is the frequency of revisions. It appears that such take place with each change of political power and/or when Government realizes the ineptitude of the laws and how they continue to harm the country.
Perhaps the need for outside consultation similar to that of the district restructuring, Port and waste disposal plans is apparent, as it seems that Government has no clue of what it is doing.
Bring in a percentage of Uk border agency officers to fill vacancies and marginalize against any potential corruption, nepotism or private interests. They will still be answerable to the Governor yet won’t be able to give a ” l’il hep” on the side.
Are you mad for suggesting bring in people who would love to do the job. We are proud of having a department that is wholly run by Caymanians, so what if there are problems. Life is full of problems.
Immigration employees themselves have often been known to recommend marriage to someone about to get kicked out. And they wonder why so many sham marriages
The board is the biggest problem. The appeals board just as bad.
And this is the group that is deciding the future of the work force / economy of the country? Wow. Good luck with that.
Seems this department is in shambles and has the task of administration of permits and the like. Also a department that collects much revenue. There will be more people called in for inquest due to the number of ordinarily resident who have been here 15 plus years who have not been regularized and the family of caymanians and status holders.. I suggest the government do something for these people.
This department is a MESS and falls under Home Affairs! Something should be done as clearly ALL of the leadership there seems to not have a clue whatsoever. WOW … what next at immigration? Eric Bush please step in!
The other day I waited 3 hours for a visitors permit at immigration and there were 20 people behind me the wait time was over 2 hours for those others, when I was called.
Their was only one lady working the line, while other workers sat texting and walking back and forth. What really made me sick was those people upstairs looking thru the hazy glass blocks,I watched you doing nothing but people watching.
Were the workers upset about something and decided not to work? Is this normal?
I cant forget to mention how rude the security guard was or is his job really that of a help desk and he also was upset for directing me to push the buttons to get my ticket
YES!! the so called security guards are ill-mannered and sour-face as a bear that sat on a badger. It is disgusting to have to go in there, meet them at the door then sit and wait to be served by a pouting civil servant.
If the internet guy has only been here for a few years how come he has permanent residence with right to work? how did that happen? Am I missing something ?
I have been here for 10 years have taught many workers invested everything I could yet I am a POS that they want to throw away.
You are not alone. A good friend of mine has been on Island the same amount of time, been married almost as long. The marriage didn’t work out, they have a child, a Caymanian. He’s an excellent parent and has a fairly decent relationship with the estranged spouse. The Board is yet to decide whether to let my friend stay or not. I think the Board would rather the expat parent be away from the child, unable to support the child and let the child grow up in a single parent environment than to let the expat parent stay.
I have always wondered how those officials can pay a 3000 monthly mort. and drive a Mercedes I earn over 100k and cant afford those things unless I don’t feed my kids and get free utility from cuc . In China they call it graft and are looking into how the officials there manage to own many homes and cars when they only get paid 1k per month
sometimes they execute the guilty or give them life in prison
Seems this department is in shambles and has the task of administration of permits and the like. Also a department that collects much revenue. There will be more people called in for inquest due to the number of ordinarily resident who have been here 15 plus years who have not been regularized and the family of caymanians and status holders.. I suggest the government do something for these people.
There’s really only one question – why did all this take so long?
It’s been common knowledge for years that DoI had serious internal problems with staff acting as paid immigration advisors and handling or interfering with WP applications in which they had a personal interest. In 2007 one officer was even caught falsifying entry and exit records for her drug-smuggling partner but not punished.
I can never understand why nobody did anything about it before. I know of one case that was reported directly to both the current CIO and her predecessor but no action was taken.
Its simple. In Cayman if you are Caymanian and connected you can literally get away with anything.
That’s the unfortunate truth anywhere in the world.
You mean Caymanians can get away with anything everywhere else in the world?
You mean like the elite in the UK? The well connected wealthy in the US? I ask this, because your comments seem so tunneled and with a tone of dislike.
We have it here yes, and we have to deal with it. Yet there are many “advanced” societies that prefer to pretend it doesn’t exist and point fingers at other societies.
Agreed.
We are talking about Cayman. Just because it exists “everywhere” does not mean we cannot be disgusted by it.
Just because it exists in other places does not mean we should accept it in Cayman or indeed be disgusted by it.
The left hand has no idea what the right is doing
I made a complaint about a worker. This employee canceled the permit of a woman because her husband was trying to have an affair and I guess the logic is if you end the permit the husband would no longer see the woman
Eyes light up when I mentioned this but it seems that’s it just funny and not an important matter
Employee cancelled her own work permit?