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‘Jump aeroplane’ in UK (illegal stay)

“Ah Hua thiau puay kee ti Engkok.”

(translation : Ah Hua (ficticious name) has jumped aeroplane in UK.)

My part-time housekeeper, M, who is also an in-law told me. Ah Hua is 21 years old errmm…girl. (go read about her birthday la).

I have never heard of this term. And I am shocked that M and other people I know found this to be very lucrative. M told me that someone has asked her if she also wanted to do this before. That is go to UK to work illegal, over-staying their visa.

M said that in UK, the jail is very comfortable, like a hotel. Two persons to a room. They provide a menu for their meals. And if they are hardworking, they can even earn money labouring in jail. M’s in-law had done it twice. Get caught, come back. Then, go again. Phew…….I am speechless! These are women I had met occasionally during those dreaded in-laws gatherings. They don’t speak much English and yet, they have to courage to fly all the way across the globe, work illegally, risking getting caught and etc.

Technically, I am older than M (family) rank wise but younger in age. So of course, I scare the wits out of her. I told her that girls like Ah Hua can easily get part-time income prostituting. What for work 16 hours waitressing in a Chinese restaurant when she can open legs and get triple (or maybe more) that amount in less than an hour servicing some angmohs? Ah Hua’s mom is going to stuff my mouth with sambal-belacan (hot stuff that burns) if she hears this. But that’s a fact.

I added fuel. What if some craze angmoh hankering for some exotic Ah Hua (ah hua means flower) make Ah Hua his captive, raped, killed and parts of bodies appear on the highway? Or Ah Hua met with some nasty authorities who did not throw her into a plush, hotel-like jail but ended up abused as an illegal immigrant, which she is. And I am sure over in UK, there must be some triad who arrange such ’employment’. Ah Hua is at their mercies too.

If Ah Hua is 40 and above like M, then probably the risk is lower. But she is only 21 years old. Ripe for picking. sigh The things people do for money.

I have the dreaded, dreaded in-law gatherings this coming weekend and if I get stuffed with sambal-belacan, I deserve it.

Is there any bloggers who are from overseas who know about this? The lucrative business of working as illegal immigrants?

26 thoughts on “‘Jump aeroplane’ in UK (illegal stay)

  1. i was told by my sister (she was den studying there) that the laws in UK is kinda strict.. not easy to tiu fei kei… n not alot of employers would hire illegal immigrants..

    get caught.. kang kor..

  2. Illegal it may be, but still a lot of people doing it. Remember somewhere in 2003/4 there was a Malaysian in England who was arrested and convicted for bringing in Malaysians to work illegally there?

  3. Kak lilian, around late 2003/early 2004, a msian man was arrested from this illegal worker scam, like what sexymama said. He was arrested somewhere in the midlands (correct me if i am wrong about the logistics)….but scary lah this people. They will scam you for your money(because you do have to pay them upfront), and then when you arrived in the uk, you just don’t know where and what they will do to you. And if you can’t pay them upfront, then they would take away a bulk, and i mean the main bulk of your gaji, so in the end you are getting pittance only.A lot of people do get conned and ended up where you mentioned tuh… haihs takut wooo…
    And, I find it weird that people think that prison is a nice place to be in. In the US, if u are incarcerated, imprisoned, then when u are in the system, you would have a designated work anyway, and u would be paid wayyy below minimum wage, so that when they finally set u off, then u would have some money. UK system is similar in that aspect, i would think. But it’s not worth it, from my pov…

  4. Funny you brought this up. My boy’s childhood friend cum neighbour is flying to UK today… via Holland. He is 18 yrs old and had only been doing odd jobs after his SPM. His auntie, had jump aeroplane 2 years back with her BF. They are doing extremely well. Just bought a semi-D and are both working in CHinese restaurant. They asked for her young nephew to join them as there’s not much prospect in Ipoh.

    Knowing this family well, all I can say is.. I find it hard to judge whether it’s right or wrong. Most of these ppl do it out of desperation and necessity. Of course nothing beats making a living right here in your own country and with your own family by your side… but reality is not always that rosy. 🙂

  5. moo…
    Like my husband said, UK ada winter issit? All time cold saja *LOL*

    helen
    Like US osso can happen like that… a lady I know worked at a gas station (her husband, too). After 3 yrs, bought a very nice townhouse with a new durango in tow…

  6. I’m currently studying in Glasgow, Scotland now and I can tell u even as u work as a waiter here, ur pay will be damn high (if u convert it back to ringgit lar). 1 hour you can get around 5 pounds 🙂

  7. Jumping aeroplane in western country is very common among Malaysians. The risk of getting caught is quite skim actually as most of these people will be working in places like Chinese Restaurant / China town where Ang Mor can’t tell whether you are legal or illegal. Spreading is not a bad idea when it comes to $$ but dignity mah.

  8. helen – You know what? See what the mom said? Probably, she will be so proud that daughter gone overseas to work wor. No need to complete secondary school, not like other people, pay with their blood, sweat and tears to send kid to overseas to study. But seriously, I would put my foot down if I am the parent. Especially if child is a girl, with not enough education.

    moo – $$$$ blinds and numbs.

    marlinda – Wah..scary la, life is uncertain, isn’t it?

    sexymama – Definitely, there are connections or else how to find a job like that hor?

    Alicia – Last time, there were a lot of men who went to Japan to work as labourers, building constructions and they do suffer lots but earn a lot also. I dunno, I guess each has their own ambitions. Me? I’d rather be a McD’s worker here in my own backyard!

    WuChing – I guess our status dropped several notches and not to mention self-esteem. I will stay in Bolehland and be a bolehan. Hahaha.

  9. i wish her luck. hopefully she gets hitched to some lazy-assed angmoh there also lah. That’ll surely make her mom lagi proud. *sigh*

  10. Samm – Dunno ler ‘cos got bf here oredi.

    Lin Peh – Yalor, it is prevalent, from what I heard from my housekeeper. Everyone seems to have a daughter or son who did it.

    Jimmie Cho – If working legally ok la. But this one go with the knowledge of being caught and stay at ‘hotel-like’ lock-up.

  11. kak lilian — tu lah, it is scary once you get caught. I am not sure about the way it is prosecuted in the US these days, but few years back, if you are illegal, you would be deported back there and then (if there’s seat available). If not, you’d be taken to the jail until there’s seat available for u. And mind you, once caught this way, you’d be fingerprinted etc (this is way before now when people are fingerprinted anyhow, correct me again if i am wrong), stripped search and such. Like a criminal. And you would be sent home with air marshall, and you’d be hand cuffed….scary i say…

    Samm — heheheh.. lazy assed angmoh who lived on the dole? I hear you…

    Jimmie Cho — put it that way, if one works there and sent the money home, of course it would seemed like a lot. But if considering the money that the keeper took away from ur pay (say 80%), you are left with only 1 quid per hour work….baik kerja in Msia, aint it?

  12. u see ah, lilian. bf will soon be past tense once she gets there. they turn spg really fast. gerenti. unless he jumps there oso lah.

    some of my hubby’s friends who jumped there make it sounds like they live like a king there after a few years working at chinese restaurants. they even invite us over so that we can repeat the same and that they’ll “take care of us” there.

  13. Well, the word is, being if you can make it without getting caught for 7 years, you’ll be able to apply for PR… And PR means you no longer live as a second class citizen…

    Besides, being a second class citizen in the UK does bring better benefits than being a second class citizen in Malaysia…

  14. They have to service 50-60 a day and only keep like $10 a day lah. No worry about the angmohs because all the servicing will be to the other illegal workers in Chinatown, Indiatown and whatever town. Its same over here too. As for “Samm” above be careful –so many “help you ever there” usually meant you send them the money first– then see if you still have friends after.

  15. Peopel in Uk preobably remember about a hyear or tow ago where this guy from China had paid $40K US to work in UK and ended up dying from exhaustion???

  16. Yes. There are a lot of bogus recruitment companies operating here in Malaysia that exports these illegal workers. The trick they say is that they go there for a trial and promise good jobs. When they get there, the “propective employer” takes their passport and tells them that they need to go process it with the immigration department. They process is “delayed” and they end up working as virtual slaves – they got no money, no passport and no hope. I know several people who nearly kena con and some others who managed to escape. So carry on jumping… [maybe].

  17. There is no need to go jump aeroplane, one of my good friend went to the british embassy in Pg and got a working-tourist pass, that last for 3 years, he went there and become waiter first, now 6 years liau, he is like PR there already and working in a Bank. Just go to the embassy and say want to go there to work and travel. If cannot get visa to masuk, then only consider jump la, but the authorities have records, so if you jump aeroplane once, it would be very hard to get into the country the second time, even if you have proper visa. That was what happens to my hair dresser who jump aeroplane in US when she was young, and last year, when she wants to go back there for holiday, she was refuse entry at the airport and have to take the next flight back to Malaysia….

  18. i know of someone who did exactly just that. ‘jump aeroplane’. it happened about 2 years ago? she didnt have to go through an ‘agent’ or whatsoever. she went for a holiday in france and then from paris, came over to the uk. since then she’s been living here.

    it’s not thaaaat hard to get a waitressing job in a take-away shop. as most of the take-away shops are run by kakilang where they’re more likely to help you out maaa!

    it’s quite a ‘torture’ for ppl like her to stay here as there’s really nothing much u can do. mainly cuz’ she can’t speak english. plus, she’s living in a ‘kampung’ area as it’s less likely u’ll get caught there.

    however, i’m not too sure about what kind of punishment u’d have to face when u wanna go home. apparently, just pay a sum of money and get ur name blacklisted n never allowed back to the uk again. =x

    p/s : longtime silent reader of your site, first time commenting. *shakes hand! =D

  19. Very common here in Toronto.I have personally met many illegal Malaysian Chinese working in Chinese supermarkets.They get about $500 Canadian dollars a week plus 2 free meals a day. Of course the hours are long but if they have no vices like gambling, they can save quite a lot as they do not pay taxes.

  20. Published Date: 01 November 2008
    UK Border Agency officers have arrested two Malaysian nationals working illegally at a Northamptonshire restaurant.
    The immigrants were arrested on Thursday at the Peking Chinese Restaurant in High Street, Rushden. One was a 43-year-old man who had overstayed his visa and the other was a 32-year-old man who had broken the conditions of his UK visitor’s visa.

    Both men were taken to a county police station where they are being prepared for deportation.

    The restaurant owners received an on-the-spot penalty notice and may now face a fine of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker employed under legislation introduced earlier this year. Gail Adams, the agency’s regional director, said: “As long as there are illegal jobs, the UK will be an attractive place for illegal immigrants.

    “This is why we have to put a stop to employers who don’t play by the rules,” she added.

    Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/employingmigrants or call the UK Border Agency Employers Helpline on 0845 010 6677.

    Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed in the Northamptonshire area can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

  21. KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 2, 2008): Malaysians planning to travel to Britain can expect to be put through a hassle as they will be subjected to tougher entry laws in the near future, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said today.

    He said approval by the British authorities for Malaysians to enter their country will depend on their fulfilling a set of conditions based on their professional status, either skilled, unskilled, student or tourist.

    “Malaysians going to Britain will have to be very careful as they will face a lot of obstacles imposed by the British authorities during their travel,” he said.

    He said he has been informed by the British High Commission on the new changes and conditions and assured it will be made public soon after he briefs the Cabinet on it.

    The decision by the British government was made after it was found that Malaysians were among the nationals who were notorious for overstaying and topped the list of illegals in Britain.

    On Saturday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the British government has announced a programme to weed out illegal immigrants whereby they will grant a free one-way flight to Malaysians living illegally in Britain to return home and be spared of legal action.

    However, those who sign up for the voluntary repatriation programme will be blacklisted and barred from entering Britain for five years.

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