Cyprus tightens laws to combat illegal employment

The Council of Ministers has approved three new bills aimed at cracking down on illegal and undeclared work.

Labor Minister Yannis Panayiotou announced that the bills will require employers to electronically record employment details for all workers. This data will be stored in the Ministry of Labour's ERGANI information system.

To ensure compliance, the new rules include a €1,000 fine for each instance of illegal or undeclared work. The fine will increase for repeat offenses.

Another bill targets main contractors, holding them accountable for illegal work done by their subcontractors. It also addresses issues where workers leave workplaces during inspections to avoid detection. If these trends continue, stricter measures will be applied.

"Increased controls are already in place, and we believe these new laws will help us reach our goals," said Panayiotou. The government aims to systematically tackle illegal work by improving coordination between agencies and speeding up work permit applications for foreign workers.

The bills will soon be submitted to the House of Representatives. "Illegal and undeclared work harms our country in many ways, and we need strong measures to combat it," Panayiotou added.

These new measures are a significant step towards a more regulated and fair labor market in Cyprus.