Inspections in Gronau and Südlohn

Rits de Boer:
We are here for a joint inspection
with several German authorities
like the German Labour Inspection.
What we do here is
an inspection of the housing circumstances
of labour migrants
who live here in Germany
but who work in the Netherlands.
And usually they work via an employment agency.
Dutch employment agencies tend to choose more often
to house labour migrants in Germany
just across the border.
It is easier to find a house there
and the regulations for housing are different.
The labour migrants often live there
under appalling conditions.
The role of the German authorities 
is to ensure that the people
from the houses where they live
can be questioned
by diverse German authorities.
Also, they can if they are willing to
talk to the Netherlands Labour Authority
for example, they can tell
where they work in the Netherlands.
What they are paid.
Some of them show their mobile phones
with the salary slips.
The question is, do they get paid,
what is on the salary slip.
Or are there any payments in cash,
that they are required to do.
There are employment agencies who cash
a disproportionate amount of money
by housing the labour migrants.
For they buy the houses and demand high rents.

Deniz:
We just spoke to a family
and per person they pay 400 euro rent.
They live with five persons on one address.
Five times 400 euros makes 2000 euros
that they pay for housing.
And they consider it's normal.
You don't have to give answers
but we are here for you.
We are going to look if you get paid enough.
Now we have spoken with dozens of people.
We noticed several underpayments.
Further we found that
there are a lot of complaints.
We have noticed that a number of people who
at another time
in other conditions,
want to speak with us.
They asked for our calling card
to give further information.
Also about other companies.
So not only the companies where 
they are currently working
but they also have acquaintances and friends
who are employed elsewhere
and they have reservations
about the labour conditions in those companies.

Rits de Boer:
This is also an inspection that takes place
in the context of
the European Labour Authority, the ELA.
Today there are also several inspectors
from other EU countries.
It's called Joint Inspections.
We have been doing that more often lately.
And that is not simply a success story.
For it requires quite a lot to get everything 
aligned with other countries.
But it is absolutely necessary to tackle
the problems that are transnational
together, with other European countries.

Deniz:
These people are very content that we are here now.
They applaud it
that we also do inspections in Germany.
So we can inform them
about their rights and obligations.
For we have noticed that they don't know
what their rights and obligations are.

Rits de Boer:
Our mission is healthy, safe and fair labour
and socio-economic security.
And the inspections in the Netherlands
as well as this joint inspection in Germany,
contribute to reach that goal.