DOHA: Law-enforcement agencies have clamped down on several companies that are alleged to have been involved in illegal work visa trade.
Sleuths from the Ministry of Interior zeroed in on these racketeering companies after more than 1,000 illegal workers were caught in recent crackdowns.
The drive launched by the Search and Follow-up Department of the interior ministry was meant to dig out runaway and illegal workers.
The clampdown by the department to catch workers violating residency permit (RP) rules is still on, Al Sharq reported yesterday.
Investigations with many of the 1,000 illegal workers caught have led to several companies that are alleged to be part of a thriving illegal work visa racket.
“These companies recruited workers and brought them here but did not provide them jobs,” Al Sharq quoted a senior interior ministry official as saying.
“It is a major violation of rules as the workers were left to fend for themselves” the official said. Among the workers caught were also those who were runaway.
These were the workers who had jobs but they chose to escape from their sponsors in violation of the law, said the official.
“In fact, according to the law even the other workers who didn’t have jobs and have been caught are runaway workers,” added the official.
The interior ministry is mulling taking stiff action against these companies. “They will be transferred to the authorities concerned for legal action,” the official said.
Additionally, they will be punished by being blacklisted so they would not be issued any work visa in future. There are other disciplinary measures that can also be taken against these companies.
The Search and Follow-up Department headed by Brigadier Nasser Al Sayed is continuing with its campaign to dig out illegal workers, Al Sharq said.
The Peninsula
