AMBENO (TOP) - The inspection team of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Timor-Leste together with SEPFOPE managed to detect and identify nearly 30 foreign citizens who are currently doing illegal work at Hotel Oeupu which is suspected to turn into a "scam call center" in the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cusse Ambeno (RAEOA).
According to a report from Radio Comunidade Atoni Lifau (RCAL) on Friday, August 22, 2025, these foreign citizens come from Indonesia, Malaysia and Nepal, most of whom entered the country with tourist visas, but the reality shows that they are currently working at Hotel Oeupu.
The inspection team also discovered that these illegal workers worked from May to August with only tourist visas, not working visas.
António da Silva from KSTL told RCAL that, after finishing observing, the KSTL team paid attention to the company and SEFOPE to take measures against these workers, because almost 30 of them work with tourist visas, not work visas.
“We ask SEPFOPE to pay attention to foreign workers, because some come with tourist visas, but they come back to work here,” said António da Silva from KSTL to RCAL.
Meanwhile, Director of SEPFOPE RAEOA, Mario Muni Salu also acknowledged that, indeed there are many foreign workers who are currently working at Hotel Oeupu with tourist visas, not with work visas.
RCAL journalist in RAEOA immediately made efforts to confirm this issue to the Immigration Police of RAEOA, but has not received a response, because they still wait for authorization from the National Immigration before they say something about this issue.
