Immunity period may be cut short: Officials

Labor and immigration officials yesterday said they are weighing a legislative proposal seeking to cut short the current amnesty for illegal foreign workers in the Northern Marianas, which is pending before the governor for consideration.

DOLI Secretary Mark Zachares told a meeting with legislators that the department is expecting between 500 to 1,000 more overstaying aliens who may register under the limited immunity program implemented last month by the government.

Shortening the period from six months to three months also may not be enough to draw these people out from hiding since they will only have until March to seek amnesty and the department needs to make a final determination of the number of illegal workers on the island, he said.

The legislature has amended the immunity law to cut short the program to allow those who have turned themselves in to authorities an immediate job placement, particularly in the garment sector which has agreed to absorb some of them.

The bill is currently under consideration by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio.

So far, close to 1,500 foreigners, mostly Filipinos and Chinese, have registered with DOLI under the program and according to Zachares, the number may go up to 2,500 at the end of the period.

“Many will still come forward,” he said during the two-hour meeting at the House chamber. “Three months may be enough to get the program over with and accomplished the task, but we need to allow enough time to make a final determination.”

The DOLI chief also pointed out that they are prepared to handle deportation of those amnesty-seekers who have failed to find jobs on the island at the expiration of the temporary permit issued to them by the department.

A bulk of these workers, who comprised the first wave of illegals to report to DOLI when the program began last December 2, will have their 90-day permit expire this March.

“We will find out how effective the program is by then,” Zachares pointed out.

According to the record of the department, some 454 illegal aliens who came to DOLI had been employed and their employers were fined $100 each per worker on top of the $225 processing fee of their entry permit.

This has provided at least $45,400 to the deportation fund which will be used to finance the repatriation of some workers who eventually can’t find employment here.

Lawmakers have expressed hope the money will be enough for this task which is necessary to get rid of foreigners who overstay on the island.

While records of the illegal alien worker population have ranged from 5,000 to as much as 15,000, CNMI officials have maintained they will step up efforts to track down others who ignored the amnesty grant after the program is completed.