In the month following Cayman's immigration amnesty, Immigration Department officers have arrested 45 people for more than 50 alleged offences.

Fines amounting to $24,650 were collected from offenders and their employers.

Of the 45 arrests, 17 people were arrested for overstaying, with the longest period of overstay being 22 months. The other 28 people were arrested for illegal employment, working without a permit and for working outside the terms of their permit.

Other offences included making false representations, causing another person to overstay, having an altered passport and obstruction, immigration officials said

Those arrested included the following nationalities: Jamaican, Honduran, Caymanian, Canadian, American, British, Filipino, Indian, Dutch, and South African.

Deputy Chief Immigration Officer for Enforcement Gary Wong said the amnesty focused on those who were overstaying or working without valid permits. Overstayers made up the majority of those who departed.

Department officials said the earlier amnesty effort - which took place during the month of July - allowed 67 male and 20 female overstayers to depart without prosecution. By nationality, 50 were from Jamaica; 10 were from the United States; four from Canada; and three or fewer overstayers were from Honduras, Nicaragua, India, South Africa, Colombia, Cuba, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Guyana, Panama, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the United Kingdom.

"Since the amnesty ended, enforcement officers have been busy conducting operations to detect overstayers and illegal workers, and carrying out investigations into reports the department has received of suspected Immigration crime,” Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans said.