How do runaway workers become undocumented?

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Runaway Workers Become Undocumented When Documents Are Held by Former Employers

Runaway construction workers become undocumented when their essential travel documents and work permits are retained by their previous employers. This situation often arises when projects reach approximately 80 per cent completion, at which point employers frequently cease paying their foreign workforce. Consequently, these unpaid workers are compelled to abandon their jobs and seek employment elsewhere. However, without their documentation, they are automatically classified as illegal workers, even if they find new employment.
Employer Practices Lead to Worker Abandonment

A significant factor contributing to the growing number of undocumented foreign workers stems from the practices of employers, particularly within the construction sector. These employers often bring in new workers for subsequent projects while failing to adequately compensate those already employed on ongoing sites. This cycle leads to thousands of foreign workers, initially brought into the country legally for specific construction projects, being left unpaid when their projects are around 80 per cent complete.
Workers Seek New Employment Without Documentation

Upon being abandoned by their employers, these workers are left with no alternative but to search for new employment opportunities to sustain themselves. However, the critical issue is that their work permits and other travel documents remain in the possession of their former employers. This inability to present valid documentation upon seeking new work automatically results in their classification as "illegals" in the eyes of the authorities, regardless of their efforts to find legitimate employment.
Employers Contribute to Influx of Unskilled Labour

The practice of abandoning workers and then recruiting fresh batches of foreign labour for new ventures contributes to a surge in the number of foreign workers within the country. This dynamic is observed across numerous construction projects, creating a continuous influx of workers who, due to the circumstances of their departure from previous jobs, end up in an undocumented status. This situation perpetuates the presence of unskilled foreign workers who are not formally registered or regulated.

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How do runaway workers become undocumented?

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