SPIEGEL ONLINE – May 16, 2007, 12:28 PM
URL: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,483208,00.html

EU CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL LABOR
Brussels Proposes Tougher Penalties Against Employers

The European Commission is hoping to tackle the “pull” factor in illegal immigration by imposing harsher penalties on the employers of undocumented workers. The measures include bans on public contracts and subsidies, increased fines and possible jail sentences. DPA

Around half a million people arrive in the EU each year illegally ( Note from D.A. – only half a million a year? Lucky them). Now the European Commission wants to tackle the problem by hitting the employers of illegal labor with tough penalties.

The European Commission wants to impose much harsher penalties on those who employ illegal immigrants, including prison sentences, a bar on public contracts and the removal of EU subsidies…

Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini is presenting his colleagues with the proposal to tackle illegal employment on Wednesday in Brussels. The draft legislation includes barring offenders from public procurement contracts for five years, and forcing them to reimburse EU subsidies. Employers would also be made to pay for their illegal workers’ flights home. The worst offenders, such as those involved in human trafficking, could face jail time or much tougher fines, although it would be up to individual EU countries to decide on the specific penalties. The plan also calls on member states to ramp up their annual inspection rates of companies.

This is less than half of it..read more here.