Several persons found working illegally in VI
According to reliable sources, sometime last week officers of Immigration Department swooped down on Scrub Island during one of their verification exercises. While it has not been confirmed by Scrub Island's Management, it was reported that since the visit a number of persons, especially from the construction area and some of whom were attached to a firm that provide workers to the Island, have since not returned to work.
Efforts to contact Managing Director Mr Martin Smith last evening June 4, 2013 proved futile as we were told he was not available at the time.
Scrub Island Resort was in the news recently when many of its employees came forward to Virgin Islands News Online to complain about alleged poor treatment and discrimination on the job and unprofessional behaviour by some in management. However, the management of the Resort has since denied the claims by both the current and former workers who approached this news site with their complaints.
Additionally, it was reported and confirmed by Chief Immigration Officer Mr Dennis Jennings that an exercise was carried out on June 3, 2013 and that a number of persons were found working in the Territory without the necessary documents.
The most recent exercise occurred at Trellis Bay but, according to Mr Jennings, no one was taken into custody. He did explain that those persons were stopped from working and the Immigration Department is taking some steps of investigating and exploring some options.
"Under the law it is provided that their entry permits can be cancelled but Immigration has not moved to that stage nor did we taking anyone into custody," said Mr Jennings.
Asked about the number of persons found in default and where exactly they were working, the Chief Immigration Officer said he did not have this information at his disposal at the time.
He also said at the time he was not in a position to comment on the "next step" as the Immigration Department is still conducting some investigations.
33 Responses to “Several persons found working illegally in VI”
If persons are ignorant to this provision, then they only need ask the relevant questions of these departments. What we don't want to see is persons continuing to break the law and the excuse given is they have families to feed. Let us encourage persons to respect and abide by the laws of the land.
This is a joke right?? Dont they deal with this situation daily? Isnt this what they do? Isnt there in place a procedure that if we do a raid and find some one working illegally we do a then b then c? What is there to investigate? They are either illegal or not. If they arent let them go back to work, if they are follow the damn procedure already established.
P$ @d@m$ husband know better!
The head of immigration need to speak the truth. L Ady had most of the people employed illegally, but he wife is the PS in Sith Cubicle so no mention.
's the way the government want to roll, gloss over everything in immigration and labour and show the world they are corrupt but ok. Only go to court when it gets personal.