Ivan Camilleri, Brussels
Employers to face tough sanctions for exploiting illegal immigrants
A clear message that Europe is 'not a free for all' - MEP Simon Busuttil
The European Parliament (EP) yesterday approved a new EU law which imposes a series of tough sanctions on employers caught exploiting illegal immigrants.
The new rules, which will come into effect across the 27 EU member states in two years' time, are intended to make illegal immigration towards Europe less attractive.
Through the new directive, guilty employers could now be fined, forced to pay wages in arrears at legal levels or even banned from bidding for public sector contracts or from receiving state aid - whether national or from the EU.
The new rules also lay down criminal law penalties against employers for repeat offences, where a large number of people in an irregular situation are employed or where the working conditions are exploitative.
An employer must also pay a graduated fine according to the number of immigrants employed, as well as pay a sum equal to the amount of taxes paid had the workers been legally employed.
It is estimated that there are currently eight million illegal immigrants working in the EU. As illegal immigrants in Malta are on the rise, it is a known fact that many are also being offered jobs particularly in the catering and construction sectors.
Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil, who negotiated this law on behalf of the European People's Party, welcomed the vote.
In a statement he said that this law is sending a clear message to would-be illegal immigrants that "Europe is not a free-for-all and risking your life to end up in modern-day slavery is just not worth it".
Dr Busuttil said that during the negotiations he managed a compromise which avoids any obligation to regularise illegal workers and which leaves it up to individual member states to decide this. He said that the Socialist MEPs were pushing for this but were resisted by the majority of MEPs.
The new rules will also apply to non-commercial employees such as those families who are employing illegal immigrants for home help.
Although in these cases those found guilty will not be subject to prison sentences, the new rules establish financial penalties for people using illegal immigrants as domestic staff. Fines could be higher in case these workers are exploited.
Illegal employment is currently treated under 27 different laws by the EU's member states and the new directive will standardise sanctions across the EU.
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Joe Fenech
Feb 21st 2009, 01:21
Geeeee....scary laws!! Come on! Be serious for Heaven's sake!
What?? Give full wages in arrears to ILLEGAL immigrants? And then what ?: make them pay tax in arrears (plus a fine for not paying tax on time), give them big fines for working illegally....
The EU is hopeless. It just benefits a small circle of Masonic businessmen. Simon Busuttil don't tell me otherwise! I've lived in the EU far more than you!
J. Sultana
Feb 20th 2009, 21:20
Employers ?? Illegal Immigrants ?? Exploited ??? THIS MUST BE THE JOKE OF THE YEAR.
In Malta we don`t have this problem of employers taking on board illegal immigrants .... and the proof of this was in the news in this week when reporting the answer to a PQ regarding the number of people caught working in Malta without a permit.
It is absolutely incredible that in the list there was the UK .... when there are probably double that number waiting at the Salib tal-Marsa roundabout waiting to be picked up daily.
This makes one wonder whether we really don`t have such as a problem (as results from the answer to the PQ) or else we do have a problem with exploitation of ILLEGAL immigrants (and illegal immigrants exploiting our labour market and benefits earning illegal money) BUT CONVENIENTLY ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN SO AS NOT TO STOP THE ONGOING PROJECTS.
AnnMarie Pawley
Feb 20th 2009, 17:57
Two years' time??!!! Won't illegal immigrants have taken over all Europe by then?
L..Galea
Feb 20th 2009, 16:18
http://euobserver.com/tickers/4792
Parliament approves penalising hiring of irregular migrants
Today @ 09:20 CET
The EU Parliament Thursday approved a law that sanctions employers of irregular immigrants. The law foresees administrative and financial penalities, with criminal penalties reserved for the worst offenders. The law must yet be approved by member states before coming into force, perhaps by 2011.
Don't rush or you'll trip in your own feet!!!!!!!!!!!
alfred agius
Feb 20th 2009, 16:03
When will employers who treat local workers no better than illegal immigrants be fined , forced to pay legal wages in arrears and also banned from bidding for public sector contracts as well as from receiving state /EU aid as is going to be in the case of illegal immigrants.
Is it a case of illegal immigrants getting more protection that our poor local workers ? Please sanction employers who are also abusing our workers .
Michelle Dali
Feb 20th 2009, 15:30
'A clear message that Europe is 'not a free for all'
This new EU law is a good thing. However, it does nothing to solve Malta's immediate problem, which worsens with each passing day. The point is, that whereas this law gives illegal immigrants a clear message that Europe is not a free for all, Malta's government, by its defeatist attitude, is giving them a very clear message that Malta IS completely 'a free for all'.
How much more of a 'free for all' can Malta be, when a boat packed with 227 illegal immigrants calmly sails into Birzebbugia, and the army simply helps these criminals off the boat and onto Maltese soil? They should have been escorted out of Maltese territorial waters by a couple of patrol boats and told in no uncertain terms that they had better not try that stunt again!
Taking a firm stance is the only way these criminal human traffickers will ever get the message that we will not tolerate the blatent abuse of this country and its people.
Joanne Micallef
Feb 20th 2009, 13:24
It's a first step, I hope that there is enough man power to enforce the law with no exceptions.
g. scerri
Feb 20th 2009, 12:04
"Dr Busuttil said that during the negotiations he managed a compromise which avoids any obligation to regularise illegal workers and which leaves it up to individual member states to decide this." Dr. Busuttil deserves to be commended for this. But why does this not feature on the EU Parlament web-site?
A Cardona
Feb 20th 2009, 11:20
EU & illegals... in the same sentences? Hahahaha. Give me a break.
d. borg
Feb 20th 2009, 10:53
Why in two years time and not with immediate effect? Until this law starts to act as a deterrent we'll be flooded with illegal immigrants the way they are now coming in their hundreds. Vera li kull ma jaghmlu biex jghaddu z-zmien bina ibda mill- patt ta taparsi solidarjeta sa din il-ligi.