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‘Set aside airline ticket fund for alien workers’
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Posted on Apr 07 2005
Saipan senator Thomas “Kiyu” Villagomez wants employers to immediately set aside money for repatriation airline tickets of nonresident workers upon their hiring.
He said this applies to employers hiring nonresident workers who currently reside in the Commonwealth.
In Senate Bill 14-87, which he introduced Wednesday, Villagomez said that employers may relieve themselves of further repatriation costs “by providing to the government the cost of return airfare” of nonresident workers.
He said the bill also requires employers who hire transferring workers to provide the ticket money in advance.
Such deposit shall be held in the name of the nonresident worker until the worker is repatriated.
Upon proof that the worker has been repatriated or upon proof that a subsequent employer has deposited into the fund, the employer shall be entitled to a disbursement from the government’s fund.
Under the bill, the airline ticket funds shall be deposited into the existing alien deportation fund.
Villagomez noted that under the current system, the original employer often remains responsible for the repatriation of a worker “even after a great deal of time has passed.”
“This liability is often contingent on events totally beyond the control of the former employer, and may be a liability for which budgeting is difficult,” said the senator.
Further, he said that the new employer gains the employment of the worker “without having to outlay expenses necessary to bring the employee to the Commonwealth.”
Yet, when it is time for repatriation, the new employer may be insolvent or otherwise unable to repatriate the employee, he said.
He said his bill would provide a mechanism to ensure fairness in terms of repatriation responsibility.
The government is faced with the repatriation of some 1,000 displaced garment workers following the closure and downsizing of their companies.
Only about 150 have so far been repatriated, partly using deportation funds and class action lawsuit settlement funds.
