Employers of illegal immigrants face EU crackdown (5/2/09)
February 5, 2009 at 12:49 pm Leave a comment
An EU proposal to penalise firms that hire illegal immigrants under the radar could be formalised later this month, following a debate on the issue at the European Parliament. MEPs in Strasbourg have indicated they will support a directive that would criminalise the employer, while granting the immigrants themselves legal conditions of employment. The draft legislation could see employers of illegal immigrants fined, forced to pay wages in arrears, or banned for five years from bidding for public contracts. In cases where an employer is found guilty of repeat offences or of hiring a large number of illegal workers, they could face full criminal law penalties. The overall aim is to encourage legal immigration, and reduce the number of immigrants working illegally in the construction, farming, hotel and other sectors in the EU, currently estimated at between 4.5 and 8 million people. However not all MEPs are backing the measure – Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald says the use of criminal sanctions in the proposal should not be the competence of the EU. ‘The exploitation of workers, as witnessed in GAMA or Irish Ferries, will only be stopped by tough sanctions and vigilance by member state governments,’ said the Dublin MEP.
Entry filed under: Workers' rights and the EU. Tags: .
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