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Source:
www.mom.gov.sg |
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52 Illegal Foreign Workers Nabbed
in Coffee Shops |
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In a raid conducted on 29 Nov 2005 at 13
coffee shops, the Ministry of Manpower¡¯s (MOM) Employment Inspectors
arrested 52 foreigners on suspicion of working illegally at food stalls
without valid work permits1. |
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Among them, 27 were immigration offenders2,
17 were social visit pass holders, three were special pass holders3
and the remaining five were invalid work permit holders. |
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Since January 2005, MOM has stepped up its
enforcement operations against the illegal employment of foreign workers
in various industry sectors. |
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For the first nine months of 2005, 353
inspections were conducted against illegal employment in the Food and
Beverage (F&B) sector, up by 45% from 243 inspections during the same
period last year. |
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Correspondingly, the number of foreigners arrested
for working illegally increased from 359 to 411. These foreigners were found
working illegally as food servers, cooks, stall assistants and cleaners at
food outlets and restaurants. |
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Mr Ng Cher Pong, Divisional Director of the
Foreign Manpower Management Division said ¡°Strict enforcement is
necessary as illegal deployment of foreign workers will push out
Singaporeans from those jobs. MOM is therefore taking a tough stance
against illegal employment and deployment of foreign workers in
Singapore. We will step up operations in sectors found to be prone to
Work Pass abuse and take stern actions against errant employers.¡± |
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Foreign Worker Education |
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Besides stepping up enforcement actions, the
Ministry has also intensified its efforts to educate employers and
foreign workers on employment and immigration rules and regulations so
that they can play their part to minimise such offences. |
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The Ministry recently launched a series of
bus-stop advertisements to educate foreign workers on their employment
rights and responsibilities. For instance, one of the advertisements
highlighted to foreign workers that they should work only in jobs stated
in the work permit and they could seek MOM¡¯s assistance if they were
asked to work in a different job. |
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The Ministry would like to remind employers
that they should not employ foreign workers without valid Work Passes. |
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Employers of foreign workers should also not
deploy them to work in an occupation which differs from that stated in
their Work Permits. |
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The law requires every prospective employer
of a foreigner to apply for a Work Pass and to engage the foreigner only
if an appropriate Work Pass has been approved. |
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The Ministry would also like to urge anyone
with specific information on such offences to contact MOM at 64385122 or
via email at mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg.
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1
Under the Employment of Foreign Workers Act, any person caught employing
foreigners without valid Work Permits is liable to be charged in court.
A first-time offender faces a minimum fine equivalent to two years of
the foreign worker levy and a maximum fine up to four years levy for
each foreign worker, or imprisonment of up to one year, or both. For the
second and subsequent conviction, the penalty will be a mandatory jail
sentence of 1 to 12 months in addition to a minimum fine equivalent to
two years of the foreign worker levy and a maximum fine up to 8 years
levy for each foreign worker. |
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2Immigration
offenders include Illegal Immigrants and Overstayers |
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3Foreign
workers who have pending salary/compensation claims or are required as
prosecution witnesses may be issued with special passes by the Ministry
for a limited period to allow them to remain in Singapore. |
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Source:
www.mom.gov.sg Press Release 30 Nov
2005 |
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FrontPage Edition: Fri 9 Dec 2005
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