The House of Representatives has on Tuesday passed the bill which seeks to impose fine of N500,000 and 2 years imprisonment for illegal immigrant under the proposed Labour Act which passed through Third Reading.

According to the Explanatory Memorandum of the bill sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the “bill seeks to amend the Labour Act Cap. L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to make provisions for the registration of all foreign employers of Labour in Nigeria with a view to further protecting the interests of Nigerian workers.”

This was contained in the recommendations adopted by the House at the Committee of the Whole.

Clause 2 of the bill mandated every employer who is engaged in the industry or ordinarily has a place of business in the area to apply for registration, while every industrial worker under the age of 55 years who is employed in the industry shall be liable to compulsory registration.

Under the new dispensation, the Minister is empowered to make an order requiring any class or classes of industrial workers to whom paragraph (b) of this subsection applies to present themselves for registration in such manner, at such place and within such times as may be specified in the order and the Minister may by order forbid such employers as are mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection (or any specified class thereof) to carry on business in the industry or area, as the case may be, unless they are registered accordingly; or to employ industrial workers (or any specified class thereof) in the industry or area, as the case may be, unless the workers are registered accordingly.