Local
Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Kaipat says overstayers identified through computer-generated data

By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter

The Department of Labor and the Division of Immigration have identified overstayers in the CNMI through computer-generated data, according to Labor Deputy Secretary Cinta Kaipat.

Kaipat said overstayers are identified using factors such as the guest worker's arrival, expiration date, and failure to exit the Commonwealth as of the expiration date.

“The computer-generated data are hand-checked with other records, as necessary, to ensure accuracy as to factors that could affect each person's current status,” said Kaipat in her interim report on the implementation of the new Labor reform law.

Each person who is identified as an overstayer is notified about this by publication in a newspaper once in each of two successive weeks.

“Any person identified as an overstayer erroneously is given 30 days to report to the appropriate office with the documentation necessary to correct the error,” Kaipat said.

She said a final list of overstayers is certified to the Immigration director as persons who should be repatriated or deported.

Kaipat said Immigration locates the person and, if voluntary repatriation is not achieved, the Attorney General's Office begins deportation proceedings.

Last Dec. 1, Labor published in a newspaper a list containing 624 names of alleged overstayers from 2003 to 2007.

In the past two weeks, Immigration arrested six alleged illegal aliens.