Dutch Social Affairs Minister Eddy van Hijum is pushing for stricter European regulations to address the exploitation of third-country nationals working for companies within the EU.

Van Hijum argues that companies in sectors like construction, transport, and horticulture are using loopholes in freedom of movement rules to exploit workers and gain an unfair advantage over competitors.

The official number of non-EU agency workers in the Netherlands recruited from other countries increased from 22,750 in 2022 to 27,000 between 2022 and 2024, and the actual figures are suspected to be higher.

Companies based in countries like Poland and Lithuania are hiring workers from places like Uzbekistan and Belarus and then sending them to the Netherlands, sometimes with only a brief stopover.

Van Hijum emphasizes that this practice undermines the intended purpose of free movement of people and services, leading to a “race to the bottom” in labor standards. He points out that these workers are often employed at lower wages, creating opportunities for abuse and reducing government oversight.

The minister proposes that non-EU migrant workers should be required to spend at least three months in the country where their employer is based before being deployed to the Netherlands. While he would prefer a longer period, he acknowledges that changing European rules would be a lengthy process, making three months a more feasible initial step.

Trade unions have also voiced concerns about the increasing use of employment agencies to circumvent migrant labor restrictions. Central Asian lorry drivers working for Lithuanian-based transport firms have protested their working conditions, alleging underpayment, document withholding, and coercion to manipulate tachograph readers and deceive law enforcement. The FNV union reported that its officials were threatened by a “hit squad” from Lithuania during a visit to a lorry park in Venlo earlier this year.