Brussels, 27/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden have yet to put in place the European rules which impose sanctions on employers who exploit illegal migrants and were sent reasoned opinions on Monday 27 February, the European Commission says in a press release. The Employer Sanctions Directive, Directive 2009/52/EC, should have been implemented before 20 July 2011.
The Commission had already written to each of the three countries: Luxembourg has failed to respond, while Belgium and Sweden have said that the measures will not come into force before mid-2012. The directive, the Commission points out, targets employers who take advantage of irregular migrants' precarious position and employ them for what are usually low-paid jobs with poor working conditions. It also strengthens the rights of the individual migrant by requiring employers to pay outstanding wages.
On Monday, the Commission also closed proceedings against a number of other countries, such as Austria, France, Germany and Malta, which failed to meet the deadline but have since incorporated the directive into their national laws. (SP/transl.rt)