ST GEORGE’S – The Grenada government has extended the deadline for people who are working here without the relevant documents to regularize their status.
The original amnesty, which ran from April 1 to June 30, has been extended to July 31 and a government statement said that in the three months of the amnesty, less than 24 people working here illegally have applied for work permits.
Labour Minister Glynis Roberts said that many more people have been employed here illegally than those who took advantage of the amnesty and warned that after July 31, “it won’t be business as usual”.
Roberts said that engaging in employment without a work permit is not only illegal, but it also results in an annual loss of thousands of dollars in revenue for the government and that anyone failing to comply with the labour rules will be asked to leave the country as of month-end.
“What we are trying to do is to get people to understand that they are expected to adhere to the laws of the country. “We have to find a way for people to understand that there are rules, like in other countries, regarding visitors and would-be employees.’’
Roberts reminded employers hiring non-nationals with special skills, and promoters bringing entertainers to the country, to also follow the labour procedures. (CMC)