Filipino Seafarers with Transit Visa are not Allowed to Work in UK Fishing Industry
POEA chief Jennifer Manalili said that Filipino seafarers who have been issued transit visas are not allowed to work in the UK fishing industry. This is in connection with the announcement made by the United Kingdom’s Border Agency as UK to get strict on Pinoy seafarers with transit visa to work as fishermen in the place. The action is made following the discovery that many Filipino seafarers working in Britain’s fishing industry use transit visa to enter UK.
Manalili said the UK transit visa is issued for non-European Union seafarers, including Filipinos joining UK vessels that are traveling international waters for a longer period. But this visa has been used by seamen who are offered to work in UK’s fishing industry to circumvent the law requiring them to get work visas.
The POEA chief said that UK transit visas are temporary visas issued for non-European Union seafarers that includes Filipinos joining vessels in the UK traveling international waters for a longer period. Manalili said to those aspiring Filipinos to work legally in UK fishing industry must secure valid work visas and their employment contracts must fully abide the employment laws and standards in United Kingdom, with particular on minimum wage. Following to the reports from the UK Border Agency, Manalili said that some Filipino seafarers working as fishermen in Scotland and Northern Ireland receive below the minimum wage salaries and is living in harbors and on board fishing vessels.
Despite the harsh living condition, many Filipino workers in the UK fishing industry opted to stay owing to scarce job opportunities back home. Further, Manalili said, the British embassy in Manila is now implementing a new point-based system in assessing applications for permission to enter the United Kingdom. Local recruitment industry officials said the new system could make it more difficult for Filipino workers to enter UK.
