DOI continues crackdown on illegal workers
(CNS): The Department of Immigration’s enforcement arm has been rounding up more suspected illegal workers with more proactive operations in conjunction with the police, customs and the Department of Labour. The crackdown on illegal migrants over the last two weeks resulted in seven arrests, included one person who had been wanted for more than six months. Officials said that 30 spot-checks were made at various locations, including construction sites, some of which resulted from public tip-offs.
One suspect who had been wanted for overstaying by the DOI since October last year was finally apprehended on Eastern Avenue in George Town on 12 May with help from the police, as the operation took place in what was described as a high traffic area. The officers safely located and arrested the man, who remains in custody pending the investigation.
Meanwhile, during an earlier operation carried out on 30 April in the Seven Mile Beach area along the West Bay Road, based on information from the public, DOI officers were able to pursue a person of interest and make an arrest on suspicion of working without a permit, breach of bail and overstaying his authorisation to remain on island.
On 2 May as a result of a search that involved a spot-check of two individuals in Marina Drive, Prospect, a Jamaican national who was wanted for overstaying and working without a permit was taken into custody. He was also wanted by the police in connection with a burglary.
A week later, on 10 May, 28 people were checked at two different construction sites, one in Seven Mile Beach and one in South Sound. Three people were arrested on suspicion of working outside of terms and conditions of a work permit, and one person was arrested for working without a permit while on a visitor’s extension. Employers of the establishments were also brought in for questioning for employing people without valid authority.
Department of Labour and Pensions Head of Inspections Gene Hydes said, “Pursuing individuals suspected of violating the Labour Law is a top priority for the department. We are committed to detecting unlawful acts, and will continue to dedicate resources and work proactively with other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the law is complied with on a daily basis.”
Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Garry Wong commended the work of his enforcement team as well as the officers from the DLP, customs and the police for contributing to the success of the different operations. “We continue to encourage members of the public to be diligent in their awareness of illegal activity and to always report breaches of the law, and thank them for their support,” he said.
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.
Category: Crime, Immigration
Yet again we have department heads (CF Cusoms Dept) praising their staff for accomplishments, but when things go wrong why do they not condemn the wrongdoers?.
My undersranding is they dont even know who is overstaying!
Immigration should have been doing this way back when maybe then Cayman would not be how it is now with crime. It’s touch and go here how long this crack down will last…..as long as they have the DCIO there who has bern there for many years….nothing will change with immgration enforcement. Again isnt he up for some serious charges of his own in court?? Clean house I say!
And why is this news?
for the great ‘christian nation of cayman’:….what would jesus do?
Ensure Caymanians have their right to be Caymanian stamp
Jesus would say obey the law.
12.33pm… are you for real??? My God every country must protect their borders! So sad that we fell short of doing just that. Well thanks to the powers that be who are pulling the reigns in.
Cayman CANNOT solve your problems. You have a home – stay there!
Hondurans and Jamaicans
Many illegal Jamaican and Central American nationals here working the streets just to stay out of those improving poverty stricken countries. Kudos is DOI for making a stance to protect Caymanians from this terrible situation.
I wish the day when all expats leave the beautiful Cayman Islands And see what will happen.
9.44pm … I wish also… what a beautiful day that will be…. please give CAYMANIANS a chance to have that bliss. ????
What does DLP have anything to do with Over Stayers?
Are Caymanians going to take up the jobs that are now open or complain?
doesn’t matter; plus it will drive the wages up even if we don’t. The rest of the world has a job market and because of brexit the UK has a tight job market. The US because of D Trumps comments and policies also has a tight market.
Policy makers in Cayman should take note that it is a job market. A market has fluctuations sometimes rewarding labour over capital or capital over labour.
It seems as since at least the 1980’s we have made it possible via permiting for capital to always be on the up with labour suffering. In the end, capital suffers a point not lost of Henry Ford who in his day was a very successful businessman by increasing employee pay so that each could afford a car.
That said, I hope it continues as Cayman badly needs wage growth by any means necessary and this is the first step by taking the illegals out of the system.
Peace and Love
Who do we get to report fronting to? The DCI is disinterested. Any ideas, or is it no longer a serious crime? After all, there has not been a prosecution for 30 years, and that is sure as hell not because it isn’t happening.
Were all the “Caymanians” also asked to provide proof of their right to abode and employment?
Job well done. Kudos to the Immigration Dept and task force staff.
Why you thumbs up for what they should have been doing for a while and why is this news! Lots of agencies arrest people daily for breaches of the Law and it doesn’t hit the news.
Please name the companies that are employing these people with no work permits and are they going to face prosecution.
CNS can you ask this question ?
CNS: At the moment all that has happened is that they have been questioned. If they are charged with a crime we can ask who they are, and if it goes to court their identities will be in the public domain.
The ratio of people prosecuted for working without permits as compared with the employers employing them is about 20 to 1.
Indeed, if you really want this to stop, then hit the employers in the pocket. Make it cheaper to comply with the law than to break it.