Cracking Down on Unauthorized Labor: Customs Inspects 23 Cleaning Companies in Lübeck and Kiel
In an ongoing crackdown on illegal employment, representatives from Kiel's major customs office conducted extensive investigations in Lübeck, uncovering 16 individuals without proper residence or work permits. Shockingly, in three instances, EU identity documents seemed to be forged, while five employees may have been denied their legal minimum wage, as stated in a recent press release from the customs office.
Over seventy-six dedicated customs officers scrutinized 23 companies across shopping centers, hotels, and cruise liners, discovering minimal wrongdoing in the city of Kiel.
Robert Dütsch, head of the main customs office in Kiel, highlighted an alarming trend. "We inspected a Lübeck hotel on three separate occasions within a year and found illegal immigrants in each instance.The hotel, however, claimed ignorance of the situation as they were subcontracted labor," Dütsch declared.
Delving Deeper: Minimum Wage and Penalties
Political bodies in Schleswig-Holstein are dedicated to tightening up on the illegal employment, particularly in major urban centers like Lübeck.
European authorities have urged member states, including Germany, to implement stringent employment checks on employers who exploit migrant workers and pay them below the national minimum wage. As of now, penalties for such offenses in Germany can be severe, including both fines and possible revocation of business licenses.
The Far-Reaching Impact
Lübeck has witnessed substantial migration, and the customs office in collaboration with local authorities aims to protect the rights of all employees. The crackdown in Lübeck and Kiel forms part of a broader strategy to combat criminality in the labor market and ensure businesses adhere to domestic laws.
International Precedents
While Kiel's main customs office has not provided explicit details about the penalties levied against employers for hiring illegal employees, we can examine similar cases from other jurisdictions to form an educated understanding:
- Netherlands: Miscreant employers in the Netherlands can face fines of up to €11,250 per unauthorized worker starting from February 1, 2025. Collectively, the highest fine possible would rise to €33,199[1].
- Lithuania: Companies found employing illegal workers face fines of up to twelve times the minimum monthly salary. This amounts to a maximum of €11,088 per worker in violation of labor regulations. In addition, company heads could be slapped with fines varying between €1,500 and €5,000, while an employment ban for foreign nationals could be implemented for one year[4].
- United States: In the U.S., employers who hire unauthorized workers can be fined between $698 and $5,579 per unauthorized alien for the first offence. Subsequent violations lead to progressively higher fines, up to £13,946 for the second offense and £27,894 for the third[2].
These regulatory frameworks offer a glimpse into the severity of penalties employers face when engaging with illegal labor practices beyond Germany's borders.
