Government officials have confirmed they are investigating cases of fraudulent work permits being used to bring overseas workers to the Cayman Islands under false pretences.
Meanwhile, just over 50 companies have been placed on an ‘offenders register’ for breaching work permit policies and regulations in the past year, according to data from a Cayman Compass open records request.
Jeremy Scott, director of the Department of Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman, told the Compass it is clamping down on rogue companies.
“WORC takes a strong and uncompromising stance against employers found to be engaging in fraudulent practices, including the issuance of work permits for non-existent jobs,” he said. “Such actions often lead to the exploitation of vulnerable individuals and undermine the integrity of our laws.”
He was speaking after a Compass report highlighted how desperate migrant workers are paying black-market fixers thousands of dollars for jobs in Cayman that don’t exist and being left destitute on arrival.
One migrant worker told us how he paid $10,000 to an agent in his home country to buy his way into a cleaning job in Cayman. When he arrived on island, the company told him there was no work and he was left homeless, going from business to business looking for a job.
Since the article was published, several more workers came forward to say they had experienced or witnessed similar cases. Only a small percentage are reported to authorities because the victims subsequently find alternate employment and fear being deported.
Cases going to court
Nonetheless, Scott said, WORC is starting to see more and more of those types of complaints and is taking action.
In September last year, Indian national Dipak Rao, 42, was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison after admitting to 13 immigration-related offences, including the use of forged documents, one of several cases highlighting Cayman’s growing problem with fraudulent work permits and recruitment scams.
Scott said there are three other active cases currently before the courts involving individuals charged with misrepresentation and fraud.
He said WORC has a list of known offenders who are subject to increased vetting, adding that the agency has introduced advanced profiling techniques to help identify fraudulent activity.
And he encouraged victims of abuse to come forward.
“We recognise that fear often prevents victims from speaking out, and we want to assure them that their safety and rights are our priority,” he said.
“Their reports are vital in enabling WORC to take legal action against perpetrators and reduce the prevalence of these harmful practices.”
Offenders register tracks rogue companies
A total of 54 companies have been placed on an offenders register by the agency, according to information provided to the Compass under the Freedom of Information Act.
The list includes repeated cases of false representation, working without a permit and employment outside the terms of a permit. A spokesperson for WORC confirmed the list applies to businesses that are now subject to greater levels of scrutiny in the work permit process.
Last month, Labour Minister Michael Myles told the Compass that work-permit scams have become “widespread”, and said successive governments had failed to address them. He said the current administration was determined to root out the abuse and hold those responsible to account.
The latest WORC statement and FOI response stops short of naming any local companies under investigation, but the department insists it is actively pursuing both individuals and businesses suspected of wrongdoing.
A separate press release issued on 21 Oct. referred to “recent reports involving individuals fraudulently offering immigration services” to members of the public, and highlighted collaboration between Customs and Border Control and WORC to address this.
“Through information sharing, joint investigations, and coordinated enforcement actions, both departments are working to strengthen oversight and protect the public from exploitation. These individuals, who are not authorised immigration service providers, mislead persons by making false claims, and promises to remain in the Cayman Islands and other immigration services in exchange for payment,” the release stated.
Myles is quoted in the release as saying, “Dishonest individuals are taking advantage of those seeking legitimate immigration assistance, and we will not tolerate such conduct.”
Minister for Home Affairs Nickolas DaCosta added, “We remain vigilant and are committed to working closely with our partners at WORC and other agencies to identify and stop fraudulent activities that target vulnerable persons.”
To report fraudulent activity email [email protected], or make a report anonymously online via worc.ky.
