Deputy Labor Secretary Cinta Kaipat reported to the Legislature that the data covered 2003 to 2008 and they have reasons to believe that it accounts for 90 percent of the total number of illegal aliens on the islands since it opened up its doors for foreign labor.
“We believe the total number of overstayers will be about 900 to 950. We believe that the overstayers from the years 2003 through 2008 represent at least 90 percent of overstayers from the entire 24-year span of foreign workers in the Commonwealth (1984-2008) even though this six-year period represents only 25 percent of the time period,” Kaipat said in her latest interim progress report to the Legislature.
“The principal reason for this result is that in 2002 and prior years, there were generally jobs available so unemployment was not a cause of workers falling out of status as it is today,” she added.
Another report on the subject is due to be submitted to the Legislature this month.
Kaipat said the Department of Labor’s orientation program for foreign workers works very well.
All incoming foreign workers must undergo an orientation at the department to learn about their rights as workers and their employers’ obligation to them as part of the new local labor policy.
The orientation materials are in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Filipino.
