Netherlands Faces Surge in Unauthorised Employment of Third-Country Nationals

Thousands of foreign workers in the Netherlands are working without permits, which raises questions about the potential exploitation of these workers.

According to the Labour Inspectorate, it is estimated that tens of thousands could be subject to this practice and many of these workers are engaged in construction, agriculture and horticulture, Schengen.News reports.

Meat processing and hospitality sectors are also quite common for these workers while babysitting and cleaning services are found among those that that take up informal employment.

Brazilians Often Found Working Without a Permit in the Netherlands, Inspectorate Reveals 
The Inspectorate has revealed that nearly 35,000 Brazilians without a permit are working in Amsterdam alone, followed by Georgians who are another common nationality group found in such practises.

Both Brazilians and Georgians can enter the Schengen Area without a visa, along with nationals of another 59 countries.

As NL Times reported, after arriving in the country, some of these people who enter the Netherlands without a visa, report to the Registration of Non-Residents (RNI) office, where they receive a citizen service number. They are not required to provide a reason or an address to obtain such a number. 

RNI is designated for people who come to study or work in the Netherlands for a period of less than four months. This scheme is often being misused since there is no authority that checks if these people have left the country by the end of the four-month mark.

With a citizen service number, undocumented migrants can open a bank account or register a company with the Chamber of Commerce and start their employment activity in the Netherlands. 

The authorities have not issued any statement regarding this matter, but in July of last year, the Ministry said that it had no plans to change the RNI system. 

Undocumented workers can fall victim to exploitation and irregular work can be often abused, with employers underpaying workers, not paying them or firing them without a particular reason.

Source: https://schengen.news/netherlands-faces-surge-in-unauthorised-employment-of-third-country-nationals/