Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) said the Government of the Virgin Islands spent at least $20,000 in the past two months to deport illegal persons from the Virgin Islands.

Honourable Wheatley was at the time being interviewed by Mrs Karia J. Christopher on a new season of her programme, Real Talk, on Sunday, October 4, 2020.

“It is my responsibility to do my utmost best to make the local persons feel comfortable in their own homes. And, if they are home sitting down watching an expat going to work every day and they can’t make a dollar it is going to create problems down the road,” he remarked.

Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9), left, was interviewed by Mrs Karia J. Christopher on a new edition of her programme, Real Talk, on Sunday, October 4, 2020.

Illegal work is costing Government!

Hon Wheatley said when someone comes into the territory and engages in illegal work, it is costing the government.

He explained: “Illegal work in this country poses a very, very serious threat to this country and local persons will more than anyone else understand that real threat. If you are working illegally, which means you are not paying any taxes. What happens when you get injured on that job? That means the Crown must pay for all your expenses because we cannot leave you to die; we are very compassionate people in this country. We are not going to leave you to die like a dog because you got injured working illegally on a job.”

To further drive his point home, Hon Wheatley said: “When you come into this country illegally we have to pay to repatriate you. We have spent nearly $20,000 in the last two months alone having to send illegal persons back out of this country. That is tax payer’s money that can be used in a time like now for so many other things. So the illegal worker is really stealing from the government in more than one way and we as locals we find that offensive.”