Two workers arrested for permit violations

| 10/10/2022
Labour Minister Chris Saunders

(CNS): Two people have been arrested on suspicion of working outside the limitations of their work permits, and investigations are continuing with their employers. The arrests and an ongoing inquiry by the Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman and police are part of the goal to tackle illegal employment and breaches of the Immigration Law.

Labour and Border Control Minister Chris Saunders has also warned that employers who flout the law will make things harder for legitimate employers. He said it was disappointing to see individuals and companies flouting the immigration laws that are in place to protect both Caymanians and immigrant workers.

“We should never have a situation where an individual is brought to the Cayman Islands without a valid job and means of support,” he said. “As an employer, you must be certain of your ability to pay those that you hire. You must have valid work for them. To do otherwise is against the law.”

He added, “We live in a small community, where the good often suffer for the bad. Should we have to put more barriers in place to weed out fraudulent permit applications, legitimate employers will also have to suffer longer processing times and more rigorous background checks.”

While the number of work permits has increased significantly over the last year since the census, the PACT Government has committed to looking more closely at permit applications. As a result, many employers continue to complain about the hold-ups in their applications. But officials at WORC have said they intend to continue the strategic compliance operation over the next several weeks.

Saunder urged both prospective employers and employees to remain aware of the consequences of breaking the law. “Violations will be investigated and prosecuted,” he added.

While officials did not outline the sector or details in this latest alleged breach of the law, WORC said that they continue to receive reports of individuals on work permits who are not working with their listed employers and are instead seeking alternative employment outside the conditions of their work permits. Individuals on work permits are reminded that if they are found in breach of any conditions, their work permit could be revoked.

“The Unit will continue its operations to ensure that all individuals resident in the Cayman Islands are here with a valid WORC permit or landing facility and not here illegally. Offenders will be prosecuted to ensure the public is aware of the serious consequences of committing any breaches of the Immigration Transition Act,” officials from WORC added.

Members of the public who wish to make a complaint and remain anonymous should complete the online complaints form on the WORC website or email worccomplaints@gov.ky.


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Category: Crime, Immigration

Comments (18)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Id check all the so called skilled workers that work for gardening companies.

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    • Anonymous says:

      And the law firms. And the magical disappearing applications that are never reported.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Violations are for the most part neither investigated, nor prosecuted. If they were, fronting would not be mainstream and certain law firms would not exist. Like so much of Cayman, widespread criminality dominates, right below the surface. It is not even out of sight and yet no one really does anything meaningful about it. For the most part our officials have become enablers, rather than enforcers.

    I hope that Saunders means business. If he does, I wish him well, but there is a long way to go.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Smoke and mirrors. The issue pervades. Thank Alden.

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  4. Concerned Legitimate Tradesperson says:

    Baahaaahaa
    All WORC has to do is drive around residential areas every weekend and see who is working on people’s homes.
    These acts are rampant throughout the Cayman Islands
    I have witnessed masons working as electricians, kitchen workers from a restaurant that are putting up fencing for their employers at their homes, gardeners doing roofing and drywall and the list goes on and on.
    Funny how the big money earner’s in the financial industry don’t want to spend it on legitimate tradespeople.
    Probably more wore done on the weekends or after 5:00 pm weekdays than during the week.
    Do you think it is coincidence that places like da fish shack, Balboa beach and others have work completed outside normal working hours.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    2 out of at least 5,000 overtly illegal workers? Pathetic, and far too late. Why are the civil servants responsible not held to account?

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  6. Anonymous says:

    “Violations will be investigated and prosecuted”. Is that so?

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    • Anonymous says:

      It would be for the first time in 15 years – apart from the usual suspects of a couple of desperate minimum wage workers.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Drop in the bucket but we have to start somewhere. Moratorium on permits for Jamaicans also needed as our Visa system is not working.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    LOL, with the hundreds of people working either without permits or outside of their allowed job or the employer no longer having a job for them, they managed to find two. Are the enforcement staff ever up early enough to see the day laborer’s waiting to get picked up on Eastern Ave? Much like OffReg I believe that all WORC/CBC need are new shiny SUV’s to get the job done.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Two? LOL. Pretty much sums up the achievements of PACT to date.

    #pacthetic

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  10. anonymous says:

    Im glad to read this and understand that the law is the law and too many people have been flouting the law and undermine the work permit rules. Lets see this country going back to us Caymanians wanting to do the jobs and the employers wanting to hire us.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Sad. You should be able to name and shame these employers.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Some things are believed because they are demonstrably true. But many other things are believed simply because they have been asserted repeatedly—and repetition has been accepted as a substitute for evidence. Until permits stoping one of the major sources of revenue for the gov we will not believe a word you say Mr Chris. Respectfully

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  13. Anonymous says:

    You cannot subsidize irresponsibility and expect people to become more responsible

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  14. Anonymous says:

    So why are the owners not arrested? They are as responsible as the worker, if not more. Illegal workers couldn’t find work if owners had the harsh penalty. What is their consequence? Stop protecting the Caymanian owner who is making things worse for their own people. They should be the ones banished

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    • Anonymous says:

      Exactly. Most such employers have committed frauds in addition to any immigration offenses. Our robust law enforcers sit complacent. Our Governor grins. Arise Sir Alden.

      It is sickening.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Or non-Caymanian owners, who allow illegal practices to continue.

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