By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
Business leaders yesterday lined up to caution the government over threats of financial penalties if they are caught employing illegal immigrants.
Edison Sumner, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employer Confederation (BCCEC) CEO said while companies should comply with the law the government should remember businesses shoulder the weight of the economy.
He was joined by Arawak Port Development (APD) CEO and BCCEC Chairman Mike Maura who said the Minnis administration’s latest warning to employers about hiring undocumented immigrants was “establishing fear” in the minds of business owners.
However, he too was adamant there should be no excuse for any business to hire illegal employees.
The business community spoke out the day after Immigration Minister Brent Symonette warned employers had the remainder of this week to send all illegal workers home while at the same time signalling the government’s “aggressive” campaign to clamp down on private businesses in the coming days.
He said anyone found employing illegal migrants will face a fine and criminal sentencing before the courts.
Mr Sumner responded: “We heard the announcement by the minister advising businesses to be cautious or careful about who they hire and to ensure that they are not hiring persons who are not documented or operating here legally. We sent out a notice to our members before on this matter to ensure that they comply with the rule of law.
“That’s still our admonition to our members and the business community to ensure that they are operating within the confines of the law. Until we have an opportunity to make amendments to the law we are going to be acting as responsible businesspersons and asking for businesses to comply.”
He continued: “The other aspect of that though was the announcement that employers who find themselves in non-compliance may face fines and the rest of it. While that may be good from a regulatory standpoint, I think we have to be careful about talking about fees and penalties right now when the business sector is trying to hold the economy together and trying to keep their businesses operating in what may be challenging times for many. We continue to have meetings with the minister and very active engagement with his ministry.
“We want to encourage our members to be compliant with the law and not hire persons who you are not certain are documented persons in the country. If you have a challenge with it we would suggest you do the reasonable thing and make an application or work permits for these individuals and let the government provide the necessary approvals to hire and engage these persons. Based on our discussion with the government, the minister and others we expect the entire process of work permit applications to improve quite significantly in the shorter term rather than the long term.”
For his part, Mr Maura said this situation must be looked at carefully.
“I don’t think there is any excuse for a business, you should know who works for you, period. That said I think it is incumbent upon the government to be humane in this process and recognise that this is not as simple as one big broom and you just sweep everybody. It has to be looked at carefully,” Mr Maura said.
“I think that to be able to be trusted through the process as a government and for the citizens to be able to make the application for someone and have a fair opportunity to address the situation, because I think to create and establish fear in the minds of both business owners and home owners that may be employing someone, all that does is cause people to get a bigger rock to hide the issue. Hopefully the government will approach it the right way.”
In the aftermath of the government’s December 31 deadline for all illegal immigrants to leave the country voluntarily or face aggressive pursuit and deportation, Mr Symonette said on Tuesday there are also plans to make the penalties for those who break the law more stringent.
“So we’ll continue aggressively this year starting on every nationality who is here,” Mr Symonette said. “Those persons from whichever country they came from who have not regularised themselves have had their time to regularise themselves and the natural consequences will flow.
“As I announced on January 1, we are also going to enforce a rule that is on the books that employers who employ persons illegally will also be prosecuted. Up to now we have tended to not deal with that so now for instance (this applies to) building sites (and) business houses so on and so forth. Those owners should make sure that this week they send those persons home or else they face a fine and criminal sentence.
“We talk about criminal sentences and a lot of people take this very lightly but you know when you go to get your US visa and you have a criminal record, we all know what happens. “So I really implore employers to ensure that they take this seriously because it will be a new issue.”
He added: “On another point, we are looking at and we probably will later this year increase the penalties for employers hiring illegal immigrants and that’ll follow. I will say at this point that this is not targeted at any particular nationality, it is targeted across the board. So whether you’re a banker or a gardener, a landscaper, whatever industry you’re in will be targeted right across the board.”
However, those who have begun the process to regularise employees have nothing to fear, once the receipt of this process is presented, he said.
He said the government will also look at ways to beef up detecting repeat offenders, meaning those who repeatedly enter the country illegally despite deportation.
Comments
licks2 6 years, 11 months ago
This group makes no DAMN SENSE! If you are not hiring non-documented workers. . .THEN WHAT IN THE NAME OF RUFUS WILLIAMS III ARE THEY "RUNNING ON" about? Time for yinna to hire Bahamians or shut up shop. . .if you must "use" the compromised undocumented worker!! I SUPPORT THIS MEASURE WHOLE HEARTILY. . .THESE NIGGARDLY BUSINESS OWNERS ARE THE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS PROBLEM. . .time has come. . .THEY WANT CRIME GONE. . .BUT DO NOT TOUCH THEIR CRIMES. . .lol!
joeblow 6 years, 11 months ago
Persons who commented IN this article are speaking out of BOTH sides of their mouths and trying to send veiled threats! Any business that has concerns with this are obviously breaking the law by hiring illegals. Guess they don't know that only the 'numbers men" dem could break the law and get away with it!
TheMadHatter 6 years, 11 months ago
The dude says "...and home owners that may be employing someone, all that does is cause people to get a bigger rock to hide the issue."
Is that like in the 80's when drug dealers got faster "fast" boats? We hide people under rocks now do we? We used to sell them "rocks". Is there any other illegal thing we can do to brutalize them that "...we need to be careful about..." not enforcing the law on?
If they love the situation so much then why don't they operate their businesses in those other countries? Do they realize the Bahamas is becoming more and more like those other countries as we import more of their people?
But i'm sure they don't care. They rake in their profits and deposit abroad. Once the Bahamas goes to Hell, these millionaires can just move to Switzerland and leave Bahamians here to get chopped up.
Hopefully PM Minnis will see even more clearly how illegals are destroying this country now that his eye surgery just completed.
EasternGate 6 years, 11 months ago
What are they protesting? Such a silly position.
UserOne 6 years, 11 months ago
If The Tribune is correctly reporting what Mr. Maura said, then it does not make much sense. On the one hand he says the Minnis administration is establishing fear in the minds of the business owners, yet he is adamant that there should be no excuse for any business to hire illegal employees. So why the fear? Ms. Russell did you get this right? If so, as a journalist, did you question this discrepancy with Mr. Maura?
bogart 6 years, 11 months ago
The Business leaders like Arawak Port Development, the only Port authorized to do business for some 25 years and a number of exceptional concessions to its preference shareholders and magority shareholders govt being one along with some 19 Bay St shipping companies and others, govt must point out any pressures it is likely to face from govt immigration action. Govt being a shareholder in APD and a number of other companies indirectly through its other agencies investments and shareholdings. Furthermore ordinary shareholders as govt employees who received interest free loans based on their salaries from the Public Treasury to buy APD shares must disclose any shareholding interest if they are involved in raidong these companies. All shareholders if they are required to call in any persons of interest while working for the gpvt and at the same time owning shares would be shooting themselves in the foot. Back off govt if you are part and running the AwawakPort with poorly paid or any questionable foreign labour or illegals who may be on site that have to be replaced with Bahamians cause the dividends are likely to fall.
TalRussell 6 years, 11 months ago
Comrades, enough talkin is enough, how many more questions does the red shirts supporters merchants class have to ask about the December 31, 2017 deadline to exit the Bahamaland, or at least makes their way ups Hawkins Hill to resister non-permit workers with ya cult leader merchant Brent? Evidently, a lot hill climbing and reading the Tribune ahead. Hilarious, every red shirts says, who me hiring illegals? Illegal means illegal and that applies all wealth classes - even if the red government has no genuine plan enforce. Might as well be a François in the PMO.
DEDDIE 6 years, 11 months ago
As a business owner the concern is this. When I hire contractors, I don't ascertain whether the workers are legal or illegal. Who does the Department of Immigration charge. If a jail sentence is imminent do you think the contractor will rise his hands. In my company we sometimes have over 50 contract workers who don't work directly for me. Why should I be punish because the government has fail at doing its job.
ohdrap4 6 years, 11 months ago
If your landscaper contractor hires illegals, then the landscaper is liable under the law. Simple.
TheMadHatter 6 years, 11 months ago
DEDDIE...if they don't work for you then you have no problem. Whomever single person if a "trading as" business or the directors in the case of a company are the ones who will pay or go to jail.
Being a director of a company is more of a responsibility than many realize.
Emac 6 years, 11 months ago
Why do we always try to cloud the issues on the matter of illegal (Haitian) migrants???????? I am just baffled by this damn article. What are these guys really suggesting?? Are they indirectly threatening the government to NOT uphold the law? What the F is going in this country? Every damn business that I know who hire individuals always do a background check, demand that the prospective employee produce a government issued ID along with a police record. So stop this bullshit about employers NOT knowing who is legal or illegal. This illegal migrant thing runs deeper than I thought. We would be surprise about how many prominent businesses are benefiting from hiring illegal migrants. I see now that these people don't give a shit about the average Bahamians. They only care when you enter their establishment to do business. SMFT
sheeprunner12 6 years, 11 months ago
Edison Sumner is the Uncle Tom for the neo-Bay Street Boys (aka Maura dem) ........... like Smith for GBPA
bogart 6 years, 11 months ago
Who are the Bay St Boys as owners of Arawak Port??
SP 6 years, 11 months ago
Hubert Alexander Ingraham is the best person to answer your question, as he is the special interest group ass kisser that conspired with his pirate financial backers for this prime location that should have been utilized to maximize resort amenities to increase tourist spend for an unsightly container port!
PastorTroy 6 years, 11 months ago
WOW!! This is shameful. #ProfitBeforeCountry
Seaman 6 years, 11 months ago
WOW !!!! One dumb ass negro and one dumb ass white honky........money....money....and more money..... somebody please tell them the war is over .... get new parts for their heads.
SP 6 years, 11 months ago
A rock was thrown into a crowd of employers, now the most prolific offenders are crying out! These are the people influencing the illegal migrant problem by hiring them under the table to increase profit margins at the expense of the country at large!
The government now has the identity of the biggest targets to focus on. These people and others like them need to be made accountable for their crimes.
Mike Maura and his crew of pirates have held the country hostage for decades with outrages port fees when compared to U.S. port fees. They mercilessly rape the people before any merchants goods could be landed causing an artificial higher cost of living across the board!
As an importer of goods from China and Europe to the Bahamas and U.S., Mike Maura's port fees are ridiculous, unconscionable and would amount to racketeering in the United States.
DEDDIE 6 years, 11 months ago
Don't use the United States as an example they have there on Port problems with their ridiculous Jones Act and the Mafia control union port workers charging astronomical fees to offload a ship.
SP 6 years, 11 months ago
The Jones Act relates to Puerto Rico and is the reason they continue to fail. U.S. port problems are not the issue. Comparative "Port Fees" between the Bahamas and Florida are astronomically unbalanced and totally unjustifiable!
Mike Maura and crew are monopolizing, thieving, pirates holding the entire country hostage very similar to the Jones Act with Puerto Rico!
DEDDIE 6 years, 11 months ago
One of the reason why that particular aspect of the law is difficult to enforce is due to the fact that Immigration doesn't have the right to charge a Bahamian with anything even though they would be the entity to determine wither a person is employed illegally. Labeling the act of employing an illegal as criminal doesn't register in the Bahamian psyche because many of us would have done it one time or the other. The police would have to accompany the immigration officer during a raid and arrest the suspected employer. All the employer has to say is that he doesn't work for me.
TheMadHatter 6 years, 11 months ago
Stay tuned next week for an exciting new episode of "New Excuses for Nada". A ten part series made for television. If you have satellite you can watch the commercial free version.
clawdad 6 years, 11 months ago
time for this fnm to put up or shut up.trust me if they shut up pack your bags we will be run out of we own bahamas
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