XN000022-1994-01-14 — Page 17

16

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 1994

179 CAUGHT IN OPERATION AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

* *

A 24-HOUR OPERATION AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION JOINTLY MOUNTED THE POLICE AND THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT ACROSS THE TERRITORY HAS RESULTED IN THE ARRESTS OF 179 PERSONS.

BY

THE OPERATION WAS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S ONGOING EFFORT ΤΟ FLUSH OUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS,

THE 179 PERSONS ARRESTED BY THE POLICE HAD BEEN REFERRED TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT. THOSE FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL BE REPATRIATED.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN REITERATED TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF ANY AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

"OUR LATEST OPERATION SHOULD DRIVE HOME THE POINT THAT THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE TO THIS POLICY. ANYONE FOOLISH ENOUGH ΤΟ BELIEVE OTHERWISE IS ONLY CHEATING HIMSELF," HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID APART FROM CONTINUOUS CHECKS THROUGHOUT TERRITORY, THERE WAS NO LET-UP IN ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION EFFORTS THE BORDER.

THE

AT

MAINTAINED BY

"A HIGH STATE OF VIGILANCE WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE POLICE AND THE SECURITY FORCES BOTH AT THE LAND AND SEA BORDERS, HE SAID.

DURING THE JOINT OPERATION, WHICH BEGAN AT 5 AM ON JANUARY 12 (WEDNESDAY) AND ENDED AT 5 AM YESTERDAY, THE POLICE HAD STEPPED UP THEIR IDENTIFICATION SPOT CHECKS IN PUBLIC PLACES AND CARRIED OUT CHECKS AT SUSPICIOUS LOCATIONS.

AS A RESULT, A TOTAL OF 17,385 PERSONS, 2,459 VEHICLES AND 432 VESSELS WERE STOPPED FOR IDENTIFICATION CHECKS.

ON THE LABOUR FRONT, INSPECTORS OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT VISITED 2,403 ESTABLISHMENTS TO WEED OUT ANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO MAY BE WORKING, AND TO CHECK THAT EMPLOYERS FULFIL THEIR LEGAL OBLIGATION OF KEEPING PROPER RECORDS OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.

A TOTAL OF 8,649 EMPLOYEES HAD THEIR PROOF OF IDENTITY CHECKED DURING THE OPERATION.

TWENTY-FIVE ESTABLISHMENTS

WERE FOUND NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE A

RECORD OF EMPLOYEES FOR INSPECTION.

ΤΟ BE

THE SPOKESMAN REMINDED EMPLOYERS THAT THEY COULD BE FINED UP TO $250,000 AND JAILED FOR UP TO THREE YEARS IF THEY WERE FOUND EMPLOYING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

0

/17