GOVERNMENT yesterday gave foreigners working in Jamaica without valid work permits 10 days, from today, to report to the labour ministry and have their status assessed or face deportation.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles told yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House that illegal workers who failed to have the matter resolved at the ministry within the specified time would be reported to the Immigration Department.

“After 10 days the inspectors will not take you to North Street (the minister of labour’s offices), they will take you to the airport,” Charles said.

The Cabinet has also ordered an audit of the work permit issuing system and the minister said a number of inspectors have been employed to carry out investigations.

According to Charles, of the 25,000 work permits granted by the previous government since 2002, he could only account for 5,000 of those persons.

“There is nothing in the ministry to advise me how many of the 25,000 work permit holders are still in Jamaica. We know of 5,000 persons living here with work permits, but we don’t even know if the other 20,000 are still here,” the minister told reporters.

He said that a number of persons whose work permits had expired were still working in Jamaica, and others were working here, illegally, while their work permits were being processed, although only persons seeking renewals should be here while the application is being processed.

In the meantime, Minister Charles said that any work permit granted under his watch would require that the employer train a Jamaican to fill the slot when the work permit expires.

The minister said that the Jamaica Labour Party administration was not into selling jobs, but filling vacancies which cannot be filled by Jamaicans.

Asked by the Observer whether he was suggesting that the work permits were being sold Charles said, “I am not going into details about what I am hearing. All I can tell you is that, I am hearing the same things you are hearing, but I’ve the responsibility not to believe all that I am hearing.”

He said that he had no evidence to support the allegations, however.

The minister pointed out that under the law employers may seek work permits for foreigners to fill vacancies that cannot be filled by Jamaicans or other Caricom nationals. But they have to prove to the ministry that they have advertised without success. He said that the employer was also required to convince the ministry that a Jamaican would understudy the work permit holder until the permit is up.

“We will give you permission to bring in somebody where there is no Jamaican to fill the vacancy, not for a job which can be filled by a Jamaican. If you do that, you have a problem with me,” Charles warned.