DSAL intensifies inspections targeting illegal work, unauthorized drivers and covert hiring

[Photo: Nadia Shaw]

The Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) said it stepped up inspections in the first half of 2026 to curb illegal work, as authorities intensified joint operations targeting unauthorized drivers, covert hiring and short-term freelance activity linked to tourism and events.

At a press conference yesterday, deputy director Chan Chun U said the government is keeping enforcement focused on protecting local jobs. “Safeguarding priority employment for local residents is a firm and unwavering policy priority for the Macau SAR government,” he said, adding that the bureau has continued to crack down on illegal work “to protect the employment rights of local residents.”

From January to June, the bureau carried out 434 inspections, including 290 independent checks and 144 joint operations with other agencies, up about 21% year over year.

During the same period, 447 cases of illegal work were filed, with total penalties of MOP4.31 million, up 72% year over year. The bureau also received 438 complaints, up 6% from the same period in 2025.

Chan said the rise in complaints shows both growing public awareness and the increasingly covert nature of the problem.

“Illegal work has become more hidden in recent years,” Chan said, adding that enforcement has become more targeted through intelligence analysis and interagency operations.

As detailed by Chan, one of the bureau’s main enforcement priorities has been cracking down on foreign workers who are employed in one occupation but found working illegally as drivers.

“I would like to take this opportunity to clarify to all sectors that the joint vehicle inspection operation with the Public Security Police Force is not a temporary measure but a routine task for both bureaus. The SAR government’s policy of not importing foreign professional drivers has never changed,” Chan said.

The bureau said it carried out 69 inspections in that area in the first half, checked 477 vehicles at roadblocks and penalized 93 people, leading to fines totaling MOP890,000.

It also said 39 employers were punished for assigning 42 foreign workers to drive illegally, resulting in the cancellation of those hiring quotas and a six-month ban on new applications.

On Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE), DSAL said it has also increased enforcement around conferences, concerts and tourism-related photography jobs. It reported conducting 16 “surprise inspections” at exhibition and large concert events, as well as monitoring online recruitment postings.

In relation to cases of “photo shoots in Macau,” the bureau and police conducted 56 inspections at popular tourist sites, up 30% from a year earlier. During the May Day holiday, DSAL said it carried out three consecutive days of intensified inspections to deter illegal work by tourists in photography, makeup and other services.

DSAL reminded employers to comply with the law and warned that illegal work undermines the local labor market and the rights of local workers.