BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has announced that a system would soon be in place to revoke all work permits found to be issued under false pretence and legal action would be taken against employers who violate the Immigration Act.
This announcement was made by Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris during his Monthly Press Conference held on Tuesday (Jan. 19) at the Parliamentary Lounge.
“There have of course been conversations regarding the Labour Laws and the legal persons working in St. Kitts and Nevis. I want to address this at the start of the New Year; for as we transition from PEP to permanent jobs for our people, we are reminded that the Government must be firm against illegal workers occupying our work sites.
“We make it abundantly clear that the work place in St. Kitts and Nevis must reflect predominantly citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis and legal migrants into our country; citizens and legal migrants. That is where the preference should be,” Dr. Harris explained.
He however pointed out that if anyone is legally residing in the Federation, he or she is entitled to all the rights attached.
The Prime Minister stated that a number of sectors would be closely monitored to ensure employees and employers comply with the Immigration and Labour Laws.
“The Ministry of Labour has been tasked to do more monitoring of the construction, tourism and hospitality sectors to ensure full and faithful compliance with the laws and regulations governing work permits and CARICOM Skills Certificates.”
He empathically stated that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis must never be disadvantaged in the land of their birth, adding: “That being said, we accept that we are being short in certain skill sets and that several entities, for example Marriott, for example any other accounting firms, they are global in nature with policies for cross-training and attachment.
“We understand that and we understand what that means in terms of the composition of their staff to reflect that global reality. We are not insensitive to these realities and, of course, our labour policies accommodate these situations.”
Dr. Harris told the media operatives that his Administration had asked employers in the Federation not to be insensitive to the Government’s policies and at all costs to operate within the four corners of the law.
He declared that there was a decrease in the issuance of work permits in 2015 when compared with the previous year – 509 in 2015 and 773 in 2014.
The prime Minister also declared that a number of recommendations are on the front burner to rectify some of the anomalies regarding work permits.
“The Permanent Secretary has made several recommendations which are to be decided upon by the Cabinet to clamp down on persons working without work permits. For instance, there is a recommendation that there be a penalty for late payments of work permit fees, and this is already in place in Nevis; limiting the number of work permits for entities. You notice some of these particularly in the retail area…And so we are looking at ideas now that will have to kind of have a concept, a notion of how many any entity should have. And, of course, we are prepared to revoke work permits that are not in compliance with the local laws.”
Citing two aspect of the local laws, Dr. Harris said, “You have to advertise consecutively for three weeks, et cetera, and you have to show that there is no local person able and willing to do the job at the pay offered. So, once we find a work permit issued under false pretence, the power to revoke that will be exercised.”
He asserted that the Government would establish a system for better coordination between the Labour Department, PEP, Social Security, and National Security, adding that his Administration had asked “all people, employers in particular, to comply with the Immigration Act”.
“The Immigration Act,” he explained, “states that a person shall not engage or employ another person who is not a citizen or resident unless a work permit is granted. And it imposes penalties – fines and imprisonment for breach of the Act.”
Prime Minister Harris articulated that pursuant to the benefit of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Team Unity Government is prepared to go all the way to enforce the law.
