Tougher approach to illegal employers

Employers who take on illegal immigrants should face much tougher sanctions, the three coalition parties and Socialist opposition party said on Thursday.


An estimated 80,000 people work in the Netherlands without proper papers. Most of them are in farming and market gardening, cleaning, hotel and catering, and the building sector.
This means the government is losing €250m in unpaid social security premiums and taxes, Nos said.
Last year, the labour inspectorate handed out total fines of €46.7m to 2,300 companies for employing staff without the proper papers. Companies taking on illegal workers can be fined of up to €8,000 per individual.
The MPs say officials should have the power to shut down companies found exploiting illegal immigrants and deliberately under-paying staff. They should also be liable for the cost of deportations.
Last week it emerged that an asparagus farm owner had been fined a total of €566,000 since 2005 for breaking the law on employing illegal immigrants and paying below the minimum wage.

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