Amnesty numbers well short of reality
Cayman Department of Immigration
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Department of Immigration says that the figure previously given as the number of overstayers who left Cayman during the temporary amnesty this summer was well short of the actual number who left. The DoI originally said that 14 people left during the amnesty period of August 2018, but they now say that, after reviewing the data, this was only the overstayers who turned themselves in and the number who actually left was 185, most of whom just left without letting the authorities know.
“The revised number of 185 includes the previously reported 14 persons that voluntarily turned themselves into the Enforcement Division,” Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Gary Wong stated in a press release. “The additional 171 individuals …simply left via airlines without notifying the department, and were identified as part of the post-amnesty assessment.”
According to the detailed assessment of the amnesty figures, the overstayers came from 18 different countries, Jamaica being the top of the list, followed by the US. Eight were under the age of eighteen, 96 were women and 91 men. The longest period of overstaying was 13½ years, but most (122) had overstayed for less than one week.
“This year’s immigration amnesty was a component of a wider effort by the Cayman Islands Government to reduce crime,” Wong said. “The successful campaign also allowed for employers and the public to play a critical role by providing information to help officials locate wanted individuals.”
The enforcement arm of the immigration department continued operations to tackle illegal immigration even during the amnesty, when officers carried out targeted operations, based on tip-offs, in and around the capital. One Jamaican man was found working at a home in Spotts, Newlands outside the terms of his permit and arrested, but a Jamaican woman who was believed to be working illegally at a business in George Town evaded the authorities.
During September it took officials three tries to locate a Saint Lucian national who was believed, based on intelligence reports, to be in violation of the Immigration Law for overstaying on island. Officers looked in West Bay and then in Midland Acres and finally tracked him down during an operation at a compound in Bodden Town.
“When officers are unable to locate a suspect, our efforts don’t simply stop there,” Wong said. “The division continues to actively pursue all leads, in addition to information provided by the public, until the individual is identified and subsequently arrested.”
Wong thanked the public for their ongoing support as he confirmed his department’s commitment to tracking down illegal migrants.
Anyone with information about immigration-related offences is urged to contact the confidential information hotline at 1-800-Legalim (1-800-534-2546), or email legalim@gov.ky.
Breakdown of overstayers who left during amnesty:
- 91 males and 96 females
- 179 adults and eight children (under age 18)
- one Belizean national
- one British Overseas Territory Citizen
- two Barbadian nationals
- five Canadian nationals
- two Swiss nationals
- two Chilean nationals
- one Colombian national
- four Cuban nationals
- two Czech nationals
- nine British nationals
- 16 Honduran nationals
- one Hungarian national
- three Indian nationals
- 75 Jamaican nationals
- one Filipino national
- three Swedish nationals
- one Trinidadian national
- 55 American nationals
- one South African national
Category: Crime, Immigration
Immigration department need to be shut down . ” they left without telling us ” are you people serious? Caymanians can’t get work in our own country because of all the cheap labour and slavery that they and the goverment is enforcing to keep the rich richer and the caymanian poorer . And the foolish caymanians worried about green iguanas invading while the greedy foreigners take over the country. Caymanians please wake up . It’s not late . Think about your grand children . Don’t let them become the American XXXXX that had to ride in the back of the bus in there own country . That’s is our present and will be our future and culture if immigration and goverment don’t have the caymanian intrest first. GOD BLESS CAYMAN AND IT’S PEOPLE THAT THE GOVERMENT HAS FORGOTTEN.
CNS can we move the ask auntie ad off the article. It moves with the story when you scroll. Thanks
CNS: Just click the “X”.
I respectfully disagree with the Immigration Dept. The 122 that had overstayed less than a week were unlikely motivated by the amnesty. (Unless they overstayed without fear because of the amnesty.) More likely is that in any average month 100+ people who overstayed by a bit just head out, no harm, no foul. This normal departure rate needs to be subtracted from the total to get the real amnesty-leave number. 185 (total) – 122 (<week) = 63. Therefore about 50 people took advantage of the amnesty and just left without checking with immigration first. 63 – 14 (checked) =49 (just left)
An armchair analyst, so very impressive. lol
I presume many of those 122 individuals who overstayed under a week were tourists who loved our Island so much they stayed a few days past their one month limit and didn’t go to immigration and extend their stay officially.
CNS, do you know what the consequences are for tourists who overstay one or two days?
(May be a good question for the Ask Auntie anything section!)
CNS: It’s an excellent question. I shall pass it on to her.
Overstaying tourists is actually the best-case scenario – something we should aspire to accommodate!
More indications they have lost control. What are they doing about hundreds of ghosts. Are they not overstayers?
Thanks CNS , for making a clearer understanding of the issues , and the breakdown of truth , and not being like the Compass who just brushes things up and publishes it how they wants to . I think that the Compass has become a fake News Media organization that supports the Government and ignoring the people/society . When they Compass don’t allow all Citizens of the Islands to voice their respective opinions on issues that pertains to everyone , I call that not good for the people’s feature , and fake representation of the people. Just look at the number of comments that are published on any article or editorial , and the wording of those comments . I know that before they publish a comment they edit it with a fine tooth comb , because I seen it for years .
I don’t know what everyone else thinks about their behavior as being a News Media organization , but I think that they are doing the people and the Islands NO GOOD today .
CNS: In fairness, Ron, this information came in a press release from DoI and I am sure the Compass will report on it too.
We all know Cayman is pretend island
I wonder how many of them crumpled their pickup into another car, while drunk, potentially killing victims, and then fled the crime scene in fear of their chicken wing gastric-burps might skew a breathalyzer…and somehow kept their jobs? Probably not many I’m guessing.
That you Donald
Another government initiative failure by a failed government…Aldart you should really step down..your favors must have secured your future by now…they have definitely given away the futures of young Caymanians.
Wow! I’m surprised at America’s numbers. Running from Trump eh
More likely vacationers who decided to stay a few extra days, not realizing they should go stand in line half a day to get an extension stamp
Or they didn’t want to pay the 150$ required to get a new stamp.
Jamaicans when in illegal activity, again! Americans as close second and as usual the Honduran Criminal Empire of Gangs following along!
You think those numbers are off. Check the CSX. Why are they not regulating the brokers on island? Why are there discrepencies in the amount of Notes posted on http://www.csx.ky???? Why is nobody looking into this??
What are you talking about?
Agree that CIMA should radically pare-down the number of SIBL holders out there, ahead of the bad headlines finding us – but that’s a completely different topic to over-stayers and idle that aren’t even on the DoI radar, or contributing revenue via permits!