Five years after investigation warned of migrant worker exploitation, abuses persist
Five years after a 2020 Dutch government report warned of systemic abuse of migrant workers, exploitation continues unabated. The report, led by former SP leader Emile Roemer and titled “No Second-Class Citizens,” found that temporary laborers from Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria face severe underpayment, poor housing, and immediate loss of medical care when jobs end, with some cases amounting to human trafficking.
“Every day, people are being exploited,” Roemer told RTL Nieuws. “It is regrettable that the execution of the recommendations has been so slow. Even well-intentioned companies are affected by these practices.” He called for urgent action: “The recommendations are necessary to remove unscrupulous employment agencies from the market, protect international workers and finally gain insight into who lives and works where.”
The exact number of migrant workers is unclear, with estimates ranging from 800,000 to 1.7 million. Municipalities often do not know the location of about half, and workers frequently move due to short-term contracts. Most perform temporary low- or unskilled work in agriculture, food production, logistics, distribution, and construction.
The report recommended stricter regulation of employment agencies, especially those outside collective agreements or industry standards, and better housing protections, including decoupling rental agreements from employment contracts to prevent workers from losing both job and home simultaneously.
Some regulatory changes are coming. The Senate approved a law requiring employment agencies and labor-leasing companies to obtain a permit starting January 1, 2027, including a Certificate of Conduct and a 100,000 euros security deposit. A bill from outgoing Housing Minister Mona Keijzer (BBB) would limit short-stay rentals of migrant workers to 30 days.
Roemer criticized plans to allow employers to deduct up to 25 percent of a migrant’s minimum wage for housing. “This keeps in place the incredible abuse that can occur,” he said Monday before meeting informateur Sybrand Buma and party leaders Rob Jetten (D66) and Henri Bontenbal (CDA). “You can count on me repeating that.”
Additional meetings this week include experts Richard van Zwol from the State Commission on Demographic Developments 2050, ministry representatives, and an official discussion with Dilan Yeşilgöz, the first since formateur Hans Wijers departed.
