Customs controls in Nienburg: 76 employees questioned about undeclared work!

Customs controls in Nienburg: 76 employees questioned about undeclared work!

In the Nienburg district, customs are now increasingly looking for undeclared work and illegal employment. How The rake reported, a broad inspection of security and security services recently took place. A total of 39 employees from the Osnabrück Main Customs Office's undeclared work financial control were on board, who worked not only in Nienburg, but also in surrounding cities such as Osnabrück, Nordhorn, Vechta and Diepholz.

The customs' interest is primarily in compliance with social security obligations and the unlawful receipt of social benefits. Checkpoints also included illegal employment of foreigners and enforcement of the minimum wage law. During the operations, 76 people were questioned about their employment relationships and customs officials carried out four employer checks.

First results and suspicions

The preliminary results of these checks show that further checks are required in 12 cases. There is, among other things, evidence of non-payment of the prescribed minimum wage in four cases. This could have serious consequences for affected employers, as the new regulations also impose heavy penalties for violations. The increasing cases of organized undeclared work also represent a particular challenge and must be combated. More and more companies are operating across borders and using illegal structures to circumvent legislation. This has led to an increase in the amount of damage, according to Federal Ministry of Finance in 2024 was around 766 million euros.

The investigations affect almost all sectors of the economy, but particularly wage-intensive sectors are under observation. The expansion of inspection and investigation powers under the Anti-Clandestine Employment Act of 2019 enables customs to take more rigorous action against such violations.

Permanent control and outlook

In total, around 25,000 employer audits were carried out last year and over 96,000 criminal investigations were initiated. This required courts to impose a total of 1,277 years in prison. The large number of audits shows that the authorities want to get to the root of the problem. This is not only intended to provide legal protection, but also to ensure fair competition.

Especially since the minimum wage was raised to 12.82 euros gross per hour on January 1, 2025, many companies have questioned compliance with these requirements. However, the obligation to correctly pay social security contributions and income tax remains. The obligation for social benefit recipients to declare their income from relevant employment also increases the pressure on employers. In order to counteract the exploitation of workers, customs is planning further controls and investigations in the future.

The actions of the customs officers in Nienburg and the surrounding area are an important step towards a fair labor market where illegal employment has no place. The coming months will show whether these controls can have a lasting effect. You can find further information about the specific examination procedures and the legal basis at Haufe.