The European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee has started discussing the detailed provisions of a new EU law intended to stamp out the illegal employment of immigrants.

Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil is the main negotiator of the EPP-ED group on this law.

During the committee meeting, most MEPs from different political groups, together with the Council and the Commission, manifested widespread agreement on a number of key issues.

Dr Busuttil said there is general agreement that such a law is necessary since it will send out a clear message to employers that illegal employment can no longer be tolerated and, equally, that abusing vulnerable migrants is not an option.

The law should also send an unequivocal message to would-be illegal immigrants that Europe is not a free-for-all. Risking your life to cross to Europe only to end up in modern-day slavery is just not worth it, he said.

The law would set common sanctions for employers who recruit immigrants illegally, including tough fines, disqualification from public tenders and the recovery of EU funds and state subsidies.

In the most serious cases the law would also provide for criminal sanctions such as in cases of repeated offences, employment of a large number of illegal immigrants and where conditions are particularly exploitative.

Illegal work is often concentrated in the construction, agriculture, cleaning and the hotel and catering sectors.

Dr Busuttil told MEPs that following consultations with stakeholders at a local and European level, ranging from businesses, trade unions, organisations, government entities to immigrants themselves, he was now in a position to take up many of their suggestions and experiences in order to start hammering out the text of the new legislation.