Foreign workers given one month to verify papers

Dar es Salaam. The government yesterday gave 30-days to foreign employees, employers and employment agents to verify their documents which legalise their stay and work in Tanzania.

Labour Commissioner in the Prime Minister’s Office, Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disability said the government has found out that some employers and employment agents have been giving jobs or recruiting foreigners without adhering to stipulated procedures.

A public notice issued by the labour commissioner says foreigners, employers and employment agents have been engaging in the malpractice either intentionally or out of ignorance. The notice further warns that this constituted a violation of the Non-Citizen (Employment Regulations) Act No. 1/2015.

“We therefore call upon all non-citizens to submit their work permits to the nearest Labour Offices for verification within 30 days from the first date of this notice” reads the notice in part.

According to the labour commissioner, the Prime Minister’s Office was the one mandated to administer and regulate employment of non-citizens in the country, which include receiving, scrutinising and provision of work permits.

In the public notice, the government discloses that it will conduct a countrywide labour inspection specifically aimed at ensuring that all non-citizen employees possess valid work permits.

“Therefore, I am inviting employers and non-citizen employees working in the country to take part in this important exercise in order to avoid unnecessary inconveniences in future,” reads the public notice.

The government’s announcement comes a week after Immigration Officers in the region seized and detained 25 Indian nationals working with Quality Group, allegedly for living and engaging in employment in the country without the necessary permits.

Briefing reporters after the operation, Regional Immigration Officer (RIO), Mr John Msumule, said the department embarked on a crackdown on foreigners living in the city without residence or work permits.

He promised to expose and take strong measures against officials who issue foreigners with fake documents.

Along with the 25, Mr Msumule said there were six Chinese working with the Global Leader Company who were arrested and locked up for allegedly being in possession of fake documents.

Another detainee, a Ugandan national named Aisha Talib, was caught with 15 passports belonging to Madagascar and Burundian nationals.

Others seized in the crackdown are: six Taiwanese, two Indonesians and a Chinese from the Luck and Spin Company who are accused of being in Tanzania without residence or temporary business permits while they have signed for permanent employment at the company.

Mr Msumule said two of those arrested and detained paid fines and seven have been given five days to leave the country.

He added that their operation, which targeted companies, have discovered employers who recruit foreign nationals but fail to process for them the prerequisite documents to legalise their stay and employment in Tanzania.