Customs raid in Lower Saxony: Against undeclared work in the construction industry!

Customs raid in Lower Saxony: Against undeclared work in the construction industry!

In Lower Saxony, the main customs offices of Braunschweig, Hanover and Osnabrück have come together to carry out a comprehensive control campaign against undeclared work in the construction industry. As reported [NDR] (https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/Niedersachsen/razzia against schwarz-zollkarbeit-zollkuntrol-in-niedersachsen, Schwarzkarbeit-122.html), around 100 customs officers of financial control in the cities of Hanover and Lüneburg were active in order to put the craft in the industry. The officials interviewed numerous employees on their employment relationships and checked compliance with the minimum wage and the proper registration for social security.

The most common discovery in these controls was the phenomenon of sham self -employment. Employers state that their employees are self -employed in order to avoid social security applications. In Hanover alone, the main customs office found 25 cases of such supposed sham self -ities, as many were discovered in the regions of Osnabrück, Emsland, Nordhorn, Vechta and Diepholz. According to the main customs office of Braunschweig, five criminal and five administrative offense proceedings for illegal stay were also initiated.

damage caused by undeclared work

The Federal Minister of Finance made it clear in this context that the damage caused by undeclared work in construction in 2024 was around 13.6 million euros. This is part of a larger picture, because overall the damage added up to around 766 million euros due to undeclared work in Germany. In the past year alone, around 25,000 employer exams were carried out, which led to almost 97,000 investigations initiated due to crimes. This shows that there is a high need for action in almost all economic sectors, but especially in the wage-intensive industries Federal Ministry of Finance.

Important information for employers

employer in the construction industry should be aware of the risks of bogus self -employment. According to Soka-Bau suspected cases can be reported anonymously. The reports are treated confidentially and the corresponding measures to uncover violations are initiated. Characteristics that can indicate sham self -employment are, among other things, fixed working hours, a claim to paid vacation and the bound to issue instructions for work performance. The employer is responsible for fully and truthfully fulfill their reporting obligation in order to avoid sensitive punishments.

With these measures and the close cooperation between the customs authorities, it is intended to ensure that the working conditions are fair and that the rights of employees remain preserved. Let's see how the situation will develop in the coming months. Either way, the pressure remains high when fighting the undeclared work.