The European Union on Monday faulted Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden for failing to adopt labour legislation aimed at preventing the exploitation of illegal migrants. Under an EU directive, those who employ such people - including households for domestic help - can be asked to pay for their repatriation as well as for missing social security contributions.
In serious cases - for repeat offenders or those employing children, for example - criminal sanctions are foreseen. EU countries were meant to introduce such rules into their national legislation by July 2011. Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden still have not done so, the EU's executive in Brussels, the European Commission, said in a statement. The three countries have been given a few months to take corrective action and avoid being taken before the European Court of Justice.