Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in January 2025, Government set up an Inter- Ministerial Committee on work permit issues under my chairmanship and comprising the hon. Minister of Tourism, the hon. Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, the hon. Minister of Industry, SME and Cooperatives to look into the difficulties being encountered by private companies in obtaining work and residence permits and to come up with recommendation. It was also agreed that the hon. Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation would be roped in the committee. The Inter-Ministerial Committee met on several occasion and finalised its report and made 76 recommendations which were approved by Government on 05 September 2025. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as regard to part (a) of the question, I am informed that more than two-thirds of the recommendation have already been implemented and the implementation of the remaining recommendations are ongoing. I am tabling the information on the status of each of the 76-recommendations made by the committee, as well as the date in which they came into effect or expected to come into effect. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to (b) (i) of the question, as it can be seen from the information table, some of the recommendations have not yet been fully implemented mainly for the following reasons – (i) there have been delays in the implementation of the rules-based work permit system as I mentioned in answer to the Private Notice Question of 24 June 2026, because the tender exercise was not successful. I am informed that a fresh tender exercise has already been launched on the 12 June 2026; (ii) the implementation of several recommendations requires legislative amendment and modification to the standard contract of employment of migrant workers, for which the Attorney General's Office and other stakeholders are being consulted, and (iii) the implementation of certain recommendations falls under the Passport and Immigration Office, the Economic Development Board and other Ministries which are outside the control of my Ministry. As regards (b)(ii) of the question, the recommendations not yet fully implemented are expected to be completed progressively during the financial year 2026-2027, and my Ministry is following up closely with the concerned authorities. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to part (c) of the question, the Monitoring Committee agreed by Government in September 2025 has already been set up at the level of my Ministry under the chair of the Permanent Secretary and comprises representatives of the Prime Minister's Office, the Passport and Immigration Office and the Economic Development Board. It was also agreed that the representatives of other Ministries, departments and organisations would be roped in as and when required. I am informed that the Monitoring Committee met in December 2025 and took note of progress achieved in the implementation of the recommendations. I am further informed that several sub-committees were set up to review the work permit fees, to review the enhancements to be brought to the National Electronic Licensing system and on amendments to be brought to the Labour, Occupation, Safety and Health and other legislations. Each sub-committee has met on several occasions. With respect to the Rules-Based Work Permit system, a steering committee is being chaired by the Secretary for Home Affairs. As already stated, EDB has, on 12 June 2026, launched a fresh tender exercise.

Yes, hon. Member!

Je vous remercie. Je n'ai pas encore eu l'occasion de voir les informations qui ont été déposées sur la table de l'Assemblée. Mais permettez-moi de faire référence aux recommandations 40 et 41 du statut provisoire de victime. J'aimerais savoir si le ministre peut confirmer si ces dispositions permettant à un travailleur migrant victime d'exploitation d'obtenir un permis spécial ou un transfert vers un autre employeur pendant le traitement de sa plainte, est-ce que ces dispositions sont opérationnelles ? Dans la négative, peut-il informer la Chambre combien de travailleurs sont concernés et dans l'attente de l'implémentation de ces mesures, étant donné qu’à ma connaissance, il y a des travailleurs victimes d'exploitation qui sont encore en train d'attendre deux ans après qu'ils ont déposé leurs plaintes et qui se retrouvent, malheureusement, dans l'illégalité alors qu'ils sont des victimes ?

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, from the document tabled, you will see that under recommendation 40, the status is ongoing, and applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. But I need to point out, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, that my Ministry is only concerned with work permits. So, once a work permit has been terminated, the residence permit of the migrant worker automatically terminates and he becomes an illegal migrant. Therefore, it is to the discretion of the Passport and Immigration Office (PIO), whether to extend the delay of the residence permit or not.

M. le président, il n'est pas question d'étendre. Il est question de leur donner un permis spécial pour pouvoir...

Put your question!

D'accord. J'aimerais savoir si ce n'est pas son ministère qui s'occupe des cas des travailleurs victimes d'exploitation, quelle mesure il préconise pour cela ? Et est-ce qu'il reconnaît que l'absence d'implémentation des recommandations crée une situation où des travailleurs victimes se retrouvent dans l’illégalité ?

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, my Ministry is responsible for looking after migrant workers who have been subject to breaches of Workers' Rights Act. There is a special Migrant Unit that is devoted to treating those applications. Now, the problem in practice that we have is once the employment is terminated, what happens to these migrant workers? Who pays for their accommodation? Who pays for their food and water? If there is a request for a transfer, this is entertained by my Ministry on a case-by-case basis. Otherwise, the worker has to go back to his country. He can come back to Mauritius when his case is heard, or he can give a proxy, a Power of Attorney for someone, including someone from my Ministry, to represent him in his court case when he is absent.

M. le président, je suis désolée, mais il n’est pas en train de répondre à la question. Je ne parle pas du…

I have no control on the answer.

Je ne parle pas du cas où le contrat est terminé. Je parle du cas où il y a des plaintes, où les travailleurs sont des victimes. Il parle du Migrant Unit. Est-ce qu'il compte faire quelque chose pour que le Migrant Unit puisse traiter plus rapidement ces plaintes et grossir l'effectif de son Migrant Unit ? Alors que de l'autre côté, le unit qui est responsable de délivrer les permis, ils sont beaucoup plus nombreux dans ce unit-là ? Donc clairement, ce sont les employeurs qui sont protégés au détriment des employés victimes d'exploitation.

What is your question?

Qu’est-ce qu'il compte faire pour que le Migrant Unit…

Okay, Migrant Unit. What do you want ?

...considère rapidement les plaintes, et est-ce qu’il compte grossir l'effectif de son Migrant Unit?

The Migrant Unit is heavily staffed already. The hon. First Member does not realise that when there is a dispute, most of the time, it resolves in the termination of the employment because the worker does not want to resume employment as he has been ill- treated or because of a dispute. So, at the level of my Ministry, our priority is to ensure that the worker gets its right. But when there is a dispute, when the employer is not agreeable to the version of the worker, then, the case has to proceed to court. So, in this case, what happens to the migrant worker? If he stays in Mauritius, who will pay for his accommodation? Who would pay for his food and beverage? That is why, unless we have a new employer who is willing to transfer and take charge of that employee, that employee has to go back to his country.

Okay. You have done enough on this point. The hon. Third Member for Flacq and Bon Accueil! CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS – MAURITIAN CANDIDATES PERFORMANCE