The customs authorities announced on Thursday that they have opened more than 800 investigations as part of a nationwide focused audit of the construction industry. About 3,200 customs officers interviewed roughly 8,000 workers on construction sites on Tuesday, asking about their employment conditions, and examined the business records of over 300 employers.
On the ground, the officers filed around 340 criminal cases and 500 administrative penalty proceedings. In about 250 of those cases, the suspicion was that workers were residing illegally; in 40 cases it concerned the non‑payment of social‑security contributions. Additionally, 220 administrative penalty cases were opened for the alleged employment of foreign workers without a valid work permit. The obligation to carry identification documents was violated more than 100 times.
In almost 2,200 other instances, there were indications of potential violations that are now being investigated further. Nearly 600 cases involve the suspicion that employers have failed to register their employees with social security or have registered them incorrectly. More than 670 employers are suspected of not paying the minimum wage, and in 60 cases there were signs of benefit abuse.
