15 days deportation period gets Senate OK

A legislation reducing to 15 days the time provided to nonresident workers to secure employment on the island passed the Senate yesterday, defeating in effect an initial drastic measure that will seek only three days before they can be deported by the government.

Senate Bill 11-150, offered by Sen. Juan P. Tenorio, will amend existing regulations under Public Law 11-6 or the hiring moratorium, which allows guest workers up to 45 days to look for new employer once their job contract expires.

Calling this requirement as “excessive,” the bill’s proponent said the amendment would address mounting problems brought about by having a lot of alien workers with expired contracts who choose to remain in the CNMI despite the absence of new jobs.

“We are just trying to recognize the concerns of the employers that ‘look these employees are not being prevented by any statute (to find a job), why wait for another 45 days,” Tenorio asked. “It’s a burden.”

Most of these workers find it difficult to land a job these days because of the economic difficulties besetting the CNMI, while several employers have complained that they are still responsible for their well-being so long as their former employees remain here without a new employer.

According to the senator, there is no reason for them to stay if they could not find a job and doing so would only aggravate problems being shouldered by the government.

“For 45 days, it’s totally unfair for the employer to be still mandated by law to be responsible for your well-being here,” Tenorio told reporters during a break at yesterday’s session.

“There has been a lot of instances where these guest workers get into accident and all that, but they are not employed anymore because the contract has expired,” he added.

Under his measure, any contract worker who fails to get employed or at least has his papers processed by the Department of Labor and Immigration within the 15-day period must leave the island immediately or face deportation by the Commonwealth government.

“A more liberal departure policy invites overstaying and increased problems with illegal aliens,” the bill said.

This proposal, however, would not apply to those whose contracts are terminated prior to expiration as well as those awaiting trial for a criminal offense and serving jail sentence.

DOLI shall be given authority to implement the new regulations, which will take effect 60 days after becoming a law to allow time for dissemination of information to the public.

The Senate voted 9-0 in favor of Tenorio’s bill, which came after the House of Representatives passed a similar measure last week that would impose three-day grace period on nonresidents to secure new employment.

Senators have yet to act on the bill sponsored by House Majority Floor Leader Ana S. Teregeyo, but SB 11-150 now heads to the lower chamber for action.