(CNS): Officials from Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) have published some details of the administrative fines it levied in 2019, 2020 and 2021 on rogue employers and employees. WORC said it doled out fines worth collectively CI$1,045,154 to companies and individuals for over 400 breaches of immigration laws, and has so far collected around $740,000 of that cash.
According to Labour Minister Chris Saunders, many of the fines were made possible by whistleblowers. They were doled out for a wide range of wrongdoing, such as failing to disclose where a Caymanian applicant had applied for a job and unlawful payment of a work permit, where employers charged workers for the cost of the permit.
“This government is sending a clear message that if people want to continue doing business in the Cayman Islands, they must play by the rules,” said Minister Saunders, who is responsible for WORC.
“These rules are not arbitrary. They are not voluntary. They are the law of the land. These laws are designed to ensure that Caymanians are given fair opportunity in their own country, which is no different than any other country around the world requiring their nationals to be given priority.”
He said that companies and individuals must ensure that they remain compliant with immigration laws to avoid being fined or prosecuted.
During the three-year period, WORC actually collected CI$740,256.60 of the total fines. Fees in the amount of CI$200,472.50 were transferred to the...
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