Twice as many EU migrants in Netherlands than official stats; Exploitation a big risk

Many municipalities and provinces in the Netherlands believe official statistics only account for about half of the actual total of European Union migrant workers present in their areas. Rotterdam authorities believe more than 80,000 Eastern and Central European people reside in the city, but official figures have pegged the total at 41,000. Local and provincial leaders want the incoming Cabinet to come up with a realistic, long-term plan to address the issue, and to move beyond the vague campaign promises and outlandish rhetoric that led to election wins by the PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB.

Eindhoven's official total stands at 34,000, but the figure there is likely closer to 70,000, according to the Telegraaf. The province of Noord-Brabant told the newspaper that 42,200 EU workers there are actually registered as residents of another country, accounting for roughly 45 percent of their estimate. Another 22,700 are registered in Overijssel, but the province also figures that the real total is about double that number.

What is particularly problematic is that migrant workers recruited abroad to quickly fill labor shortages in the Netherlands are often told not to register with their municipality when they arrive, making them susceptible to exploitation and making it impossible for them to obtain the services they need. "But everything starts with registration. Otherwise you have no health insurance, no accrued employment rights, no rent protection, no right to education," said Rotterdam civil servant Ewelina Michalak, who tries to help EU migrant workers in the city.

They can then live hidden in overcrowded residential units provided by an employer they do not want to anger, for fear of winding up on the street. She said she knows of some individuals who have lived unregistered in Rotterdam for a decade.

It is certainly not a Rotterdam issue either. National estimates put the number of migrant workers at between 600,000 and 800,000, but this is probably well below the real total, the newspaper said. The new coalition said it will tackle the issue of labor migration, but has yet to put forward specific proposals or plans to do so. Many of the broader ideas could also face lengthy legal challenges, especially regarding legal residents and citizens of European Union countries who are covered by the EU's freedom of movement laws.

Additionally, there is a desperate need for more workers in the Netherlands, especially in sectors that are more labor intensive and seasonal work. Earlier assessments of the labor situation in the Netherlands also showed that the country will need migrant workers if the Cabinet's goal of constructing a million residences by 2030 will be met.

"We have to answer the question of what kind of economy we actually want," said Rotterdam Alderman Tim Versnel, whose VVD party is one of the four national coalition parties. The VVD has been in successive Cabinets since Mark Rutte became prime minister for his first Cabinet nearly 14 years ago, and the party will serve in Dick Schoof's incoming Cabinet when it is installed next week.

"Migrant workers are really necessary for our prosperity, but we cannot continue like this. We only have limited space," Versnel said.

One Bulgarian plaster worker told the Telegraaf that he arrived in Rotterdam a decade ago. "There was no work to be found in Bulgaria, but you needed plasterers," he said to the Dutch media outlet. He earned a decent income, and brought his wife and child to the Netherlands.

More people from Central and Eastern European countries hope to find similar success, but the numbers are unclear. "The registration of migrant workers in the Netherlands is not in order," said the City of Eindhoven in its plan to address the issue, according to a review by the Telegraaf. The fifth largest city in the country is also worried about the looming prospect of exploitation by employers and landlords, and the possibility that neighborhoods will fall into disrepair due to large numbers of migrants.

Rotterdam is also worried about the liveability of different neighborhoods affected by the issue. "Dutch people like to chat with their neighbors, but people no longer understand each other. New people are constantly moving in and many buildings are not properly maintained, which leads to a kind of deterioration of a neighborhood," Versnel said.

Michalak told the Telegraaf that nobody really knows exactly how many of them are in Rotterdam. "Officially, this is a quarter of the residents in this neighborhood, but there are many more," she said of the Oud-Mathenesse district. "A large group never registers and remains under the radar."