The Lao government has imposed the penalties on illegal foreign workers and businesses’ operators as an effort to ensure that expatriates in Laos comply with the law, Vientiane Times reported.
As many as 1,162 illegal foreign workers in Thailand have been arrested and 204 law-breaking employers have been prosecuted following checks on nearly 50,000 foreign workers at establishments in the past month.
The number of undocumented foreign migrant workers registering to Thai authority has exceeded 700,000, the country’s Department of Employment (DOE) said on August 8, insisting it will not extend the deadline for registration.
Malaysian authorities began a campaign on July 1 to nab illegal foreign workers nationwide, especially in states accommodating crowds of guest workers.
The Malaysian Immigration Department has decided not to extend the registration for the Enforcement Card Programme (or E-card) for foreign workers although last-minute applicants have doubled since June 28.
Over 150 foreigners aged between 20-45, have been detained by the Malaysian Immigration Department for various offences including not having identification documents, possession of fake work permits.
The Malaysian Department of Immigration said Malaysia would begin issuing the card ‘E-kad’ for illegal foreign workers to temporarily legalise their jobs as from February 15.
Local media reported on December 14 that the number of illegal foreign workers in Malaysia have reduced drastically thanks to the Immigration Department’s rehiring and resettlement of illegal immigrants programme.
The Immigrant Department of Malaysia will freeze assets of companies that hire illegal foreign workers, starting from October 1, local newspaper “The Star” reported.
Silent Bay Travel and Trade Co. Ltd was fined 80 million VND, or 3,590 USD, by the Khanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee on July 19 for bad record keeping and employing illegal foreign workers.
The administration of Laos’ capital city of Vientiane will start the granting of temporary working permit to migrant foreign labourers in order to better manage illegal foreign workers here.
As many as 27,468 foreign workers without relevant documents including work permits have been detained by Malaysian authorities since the beginning of this year.