Near about 25 Filipino fishermen in Portavogie Harbor, Northern Ireland, are living happy lives despite low pay. Their main concern is their status as transit visa holder. They carry seaman’s book, although they are not seamen but fishermen. Most of them are from the most impoverished provinces in the Visayas. Their contract is that of a seamen’s but they work as fishermen aboard UK fishing vessels.
Paris Montano, 35 year old fisherman, said that they always have trouble when customs and immigration men take a look at their visa. He added that with a transit visa, you may enter here and your next port of entry is either France or Norway. Montano is worried that when the next round of customs checks happens, they will be questioned and will not be able to present the proper documents and permit to remain.
He informed that a transit-visa holder, he says, has the right to remain in UK no longer than 48 hours. In the case of the 25 Filipino fishermen, they should have been given working visas. Many of them say that they are happy with their employer, despite long working hours and very low pay. They said they were treated well by their skipper and were not concerned about not having the proper work permit.
Portavogie is known for its fishing industry where fish auctions on the quays are popular. When the Pinoy fishermen met Filipinos living in the area, they decided to give them the fish which they said, they just throw away anyway. The fishermen want to have a recreation area at the harbor where they can relax and mingle with other fishermen there.
