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Colombia Plans Temporary Work Permit for Undocumented Venezuelans

Reuters

   BOGOTA - Colombia is preparing a temporary work permit for undocumented
   Venezuelans, part of an effort to reduce off-the-books jobs that often
   pay less than the minimum wage while depriving state programs of
   revenues, a government official said on Monday.

   Colombia has been the top destination for Venezuelans fleeing their
   country's crippling economic crisis in recent years, putting pressure
   on its public health, education and welfare systems while fueling
   concerns about impacts on wages.

   "We cannot permit that the migrants' main asset is that they are
   cheaper to hire informally," Colombia's deputy labor minister, Andres
   Felipe Uribe, told journalists.

   "That's why we're going to start to put in place rules for a special
   work permit so that the moment a Venezuelan is hired illegally they can
   receive a formal work proposal," Uribe added.