Dutch employers violate law hiring international students

Horeca and retail sector employers regularly have students from outside the European Union working for them illegally. 71 percent of 170 targeted inspections of the Dutch Labour Inspectorate in workplaces showed law violations.

The employers did not have the required permits for workers from outside the EU. Some employers also did not respect the maximum number of hours for the permit that had been issued.

A total of 204 students were found in workplaces that did not hold permits for these employees. The majority of the students came from countries like China and Nepal. With a working permit, a student is allowed to work up to ten hours a week or full time in June, July and August.

Employers and students do not always seem to know the rules, the Inspectorate said. An information campaign, which will be launched in June, has to cut down on the amount of law violations. In  addition, the Labour Inspectorate, The Immigration and Naturalisation Service  IND and Job Centre UWV Werkbedrijf will inform foreign students about the rules through educational institutions.

The Labour Inspectorate has detected the violations by exchanging data with UWV Werkbedrijf and IND.