European Parliament Pushes Member States for More Immigration Enforcement

The European Parliament recently issued a nonbinding resolution that calls for greater enforcement of EU directives on immigration compliance and employer sanctions. The resolution specifically calls for more worksite inspections, increased regional cooperation among government agencies responsible for immigration enforcement, and the creation of centralized compliance monitoring mechanisms.

The resolution evidences a growing focus on immigration compliance in the EU that started with the adoption of the EU employer sanctions directive in 2009. By now, most EU member states have incorporated the directive’s provisions into their domestic laws. Additionally, lawmakers in a number of states – including Greece, Italy, Slovenia and the United Kingdom – in recent months have proposed additional compliance tools to reduce unauthorized work.

What This Means for Employers

Though the European Parliament’s resolution is not binding on EU member states, employers could see an increase in compliance audits and worksite inspections as a result.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].