IMMIGRATION Minister Keith Bell.
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
IMMIGRATION Minister Keith Bell said a special operation in a “high-end gated community” in eastern New Providence found that foreign workers outnumbered Bahamian construction workers three to one, breaking the rules.
He said 56 foreigners were taken into custody, leaving 20 Bahamians working at the site. His comment in the House of Assembly yesterday came as he discussed the actions of immigration officers, which include repatriating almost half the total number of people deported in 2022 in just the first four months of this year.
Mr Bell said the Department of Immigration had launched operations after numerous complaints from the public about the number of foreign workers on construction sites.
“The finding of the (latest) investigation revealed all of the persons had been issued work permits,” he said. “Secondly, all of the persons were working outside the scope and terms of their work permits.”
“Thirdly, a large number of persons were unlawfully paying dramatically lower work permit fees by giving incorrect job descriptions such as farm labourers which attracts a fee of $500 when they were highly skilled construction professionals, which attracted a fee of $4,000 to $6,000.”
“Several persons owed renewal and processing fees for permits. Others were pending processing fee payments for the renewal of their permits. Persons were classified as farm labourers and handymen when they were highly skilled construction workers. Investigations into this matter are ongoing.
Mr Bell warned contractors and other businesses who employ people on work permits to “get your house in order.”
He also discussed operations in Marsh Harbour, Hope Town, Guana Cay, Treasure Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Ferry Dock, Winding Bay, “The Gully” and “The Farm” communities in Abaco.
“Investigations in Abaco have shown that a significant number of persons are working outside the scope of their permits,” he said. “The employers are in New Providence or some other island and the permit holders are working outside New Providence independent of their employer.”
“From January 2023 to March 31, 2023, some 81 persons were found on Abaco using work permits issued for employers in New Providence alone. These persons were removed from Abaco and in each case, the permit is liable for revocation. To date, 65 of the 81 persons have been charged and convicted before the Magistrate’s Court.”
Mr Bell said employers are also failing to renew permits on a timely basis, a “vexing issue” for the department.
He said over the past three months, an operation has resulted in over $90,000 being collected in back fees for processing and document fees from Bahamian employers of various people taken into custody.
Comments
ohdrap4 1 year ago
Ok. go to the parking lot of the high end supermarket out west and stand by the door. You would think you are Southeast Asia.
However, if they were issued work permits, why were they taken into custody? They apply for jobs from their home country, but it is the employer who signs on their behalf and thus lies to the immigration department.
The immigration department also should be keeping the tally of the ratio of foreigners to Bahamians.
I know someone living in 3 bedroom house that has 4 housekeepers and 3 handyment. But, I would not report to immigration because the employer has political connections.
mandela 1 year ago
Which ethnicity are these highly skilled professional construction foreign workers? I don't think they are talking about Haitian workers, and 53 of them, something is missing here, Mr, Bell would never refer to a Bahamian or Haitian carpenter or mason as a highly-skilled construction professional, so these workers can't be black, so how and why are they given work permits in the first place?
birdiestrachan 1 year ago
Immigration is being taken to the cleaners they are being outwitted every day, they even give permits to Barbars, ,
Dawes 1 year ago
So what happened to the employer? Nothing i bet, so nothing will change
SP 1 year ago
**FIRSTLY, hats off to the Bahamians that made numerous complaints about the number of foreign workers on construction sites.
This is the best news for the year so far** as finally, Bahamians have begun to voice their disapproval of the unfair practice by Bahamian contractors and foreign property owners hiring illegals to the detriment of Bahamians!
Immigration should have had the contractor's license suspended and the property owner should have had his project stopped, building plans and immigration status revoked, while both of them are hauled before the courts and heavily fined for violation of immigration laws.
This same property owner will also hire illegal Asian and Latino domestic workers!
360-degree jackass IMMIGRATION Minister Keith Bell is one of the biggest mockeries in Parliament!
All this blah, blah, blah, blah, on the floor of the House, and this idiot cannot report one employer that has been fined for violation of immigration laws. The PLP and FNM are afraid of these foreign people that consistently break numerous Bahamian laws without consequences.
Why would these people stop hiring illegals if there is no penalty for doing so?
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