Immigration overstayers list under audit

Franz Manderson

Friday,  December 2, 2005

Chief Immigration Officer Franz Manderson has said the number of Jamaicans who have been listed as having overstayed their time in the Cayman Islands could be reduced significantly from the 1,500 recently announced, after the Immigration Department finishes going through the list in another few weeks.

Mr Manderson told Cayman Net News on Tuesday 29 November that the list is being audited and the Immigration Department will have a more accurate figure in a few weeks from now.

The Chief Immigration Officer said that the number of Jamaicans listed as having overstayed could be greatly reduced. He said that there were a number of factors that could cause persons to show up on the system as having overstayed their time, when in fact there could be another explanation.

He explained that some of the people who are on the list might have already left the Island a day after they were due to leave; some might not have turned in the form they received when they entered the Island upon leaving; and some might be in jail.

“There could be any number of reasons why someone would show up as having overstayed … the list did not state the length of time people overstayed… that is why I was careful to use the term ‘unaudited report’ in my original statement,” he said.

Asked if some of the people listed could have been here on temporary work permits that have expired while waiting on permanent work permit, Mr Manderson said that the 1,500 are all considered visitors.

He pointed out that people coming here on work permits and visitors are documented in different computer systems.

Chairman David Ritch of the Work Permit Board (WPB) had said in a public meeting recently that there is a lot of confusion in the processing of work permits. He said that there is a backlog of applications, which takes a very long time to approve; and, sometimes when the board does approve permits, it expires within a short time.

The Net News contacted Mr Ritch and asked him to respond to comments that the people suspected of overstaying might actually be here on temporary work permits that have expired and are still working until the WPB makes a ruling.

He, however, said that any matter concerning border control, the Chief Immigration Officer Franz Manderson should address illegal immigrants, or overstaying on visas. “I don’t wish to comment on it,” he said.

On 26 October, Mr Manderson, at a press briefing, said that the Immigration Department is tracking down 1,500 Jamaicans who have overstayed their time here. The Chief Immigration Officer disclosed the information when the Cayman Islands Government announced the 1 November deadline for Jamaicans to have visas to come here.

While acknowledging the assistance Jamaicans have given especially just after the devastation of Hurricane Ivan, Mr Manderson revealed that the Department had an ‘unaudited list’ of 1,500 Jamaicans who have overstayed.

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