16 Jan Policy Brief – Employer Sanctions in the Netherlands: How to Bridge Policy Silo’s to Protect Migrant Workers
Policy Brief – Employer Sanctions in the Netherlands: How to Bridge Policy Silo’s to Protect Migrant Workers
This policy brief builds on a workshop on employer sanctions in case of the “illegal employment of third country migrant workers”, organised by DignityFIRM researchers at Radboud University on 22 May 2025 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. It presents the discussion on the current state of Dutch employer sanctions policy and case law, drawing on expert contributions from practitioners: lawyers and judges, representatives of the Netherlands Labour Authority (NLA), ministries, private immigration and mobility consultancy firms, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), academics, and migrant NGOs.
In this policy brief, we draw attention to two central topics in the context of irregular employment:
1) the limited transparency of the NLA’s enforcement of illegal employment and irregular working conditions;2) the proportionality of administrative fines and other sanctions for employers;
3) the consideration of migrant workers’ rights and interests in enforcement practice.
How to cite: de Lange T., Naaktgeboren S., van Meeteren M., (2025). Employer Sanctions in the Netherlands: How to Bridge Policy Silo’s to Protect Migrant Workers. DignityFIRM.
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