How to distinguish between legal and illegal ways of bringing labor into the European Union?
There are several legal ways to bring labor into the European Union. If you are coming outside the Union, the employer or recruitment agency should never charge you anything, not even flight tickets. If that is the case, you should contact authorities right away since if someone manages to do illegal things like that it might continue forever.
We collected several legal ways to this blog how the workforce can move from country to country.
Free Movement of Workers: EU citizens have the right to work in any EU country without needing a work permit. This includes the right to move freely, reside, and work under the same conditions as nationals of that country. It is a great advantage to be an EU citizen!
Single Permit Directive: This directive allows non-EU nationals to apply for a single permit to reside and work in an EU country. It ensures fair treatment and sets out a common set of rights for non-EU workers legally residing in an EU Member State.
Blue Card Scheme: This is designed for highly skilled non-EU nationals. It allows them to live and work in an EU country, provided they have a job offer with a salary above a certain threshold and meet specific qualifications.
Seasonal Workers Directive: This directive facilitates the entry and stay of non-EU nationals for the purpose of seasonal work. It ensures that seasonal workers are treated fairly and have decent working and living conditions.
Intra-Corporate Transferees Directive: This allows non-EU nationals who are managers, specialists, or trainee employees to be temporarily transferred within a company to an EU branch.
These legal pathways help ensure that labor migration into the EU is regulated and that workers are treated fairly.
Illegal ways of bringing labor into the European Union typically involve activities that violate immigration and labor laws. Here are some common examples.
Human Trafficking: This involves the illegal recruitment, transportation, and exploitation of individuals through coercion, deception, or force. Victims are often forced into labor under inhumane conditions.
Smuggling: This refers to the illegal transportation of individuals across borders, often involving dangerous and unsafe methods. Smuggled individuals may end up working illegally to repay their debts to smugglers.
Illegal Employment: This includes employing non-EU nationals without proper work permits or documentation. Such workers are often paid below minimum wage and lack legal protection.
Exploitation: Severe labor exploitation can occur when workers are subjected to abusive working conditions, including long hours, low pay, and unsafe environments. This often involves false promises and fraud.
Authorities in the EU are actively working to combat these illegal practices through legislation, inspections, and penalties for employers who violate labor laws.
While most of the EU countries need a larger workforce eventually, we all should be responsible for helping authorities, employers and of course employees to get the work done legally and ethically.
Population projections in the EU https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Population_projections_in_the_EU
Maximizing the potential of the EU’s Workforce https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-way-life/maximising-potential-eus-workforce_en
Hermann Alatalo, Senior Advisor