KOROR (Palau Horizon) —President Tommy Remengesau and the U.S. Justice Department have signed a memorandum of agreement regarding Palauans working in the U.S.
Remengesau said the local government had been receiving complaints from Palauans currently working in the U.S.
“Some don’t understand the nature of our Compact with the U.S. so this agreement will protect the rights of the Palauans there,” he said in an interview.
This is the first agreement between the U.S. and a Pacific island country, Remengesau said.
Under the Compact of Free Association, Palau is an independent nation but it has to consult the U.S. regarding foreign affairs and defense policies.
In return, the U.S. allows Palauan citizens to freely enter America where they could work, study or reside. The U.S. also provides Palau with grants and other forms of assistance.
According to the agreement signed by Remengesau and the U.S. Department of Justice, Palau and DOJ will work together to educate Palauans in the U.S., business groups and the general public regarding the rights and responsibilities of the employers and workers in accordance with federal laws.
As part of the agreement, the department will train employees of the Palau Embassy in Washington, D.C. or other Palauan consular offices in the U.S. about the rights of employers and workers.
The department’s Office of Special Counsel will also consult with the Palau Embassy regarding the Palauan community in the U.S.
The Office of the Special Counsel was created through an act of Congress in 1986 to enforce a federal law prohibiting discrimination in employment against U.S. citizens, nationals, legal immigrants and other work-authorized foreigners on the basis of either citizenship status or national origin.
