The number of inspectors responsible for tackling undeclared and illegal work will be doubled following cabinet approval, Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas affirmed on Friday.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Mousiouttas said the ministry’s inspection service currently operates with a team of eight inspectors, with additional positions expected through either this year’s or the next state budget.

“We are trying with the controls that are carried out to ensure that the legislation is complied with, whether regarding undeclared work, illegal work, or employment conditions,” he said.

He added that increasing the number of inspectors would allow the service to carry out more workplace checks, while conceding that “it is humanly impossible to be everywhere”.

The announcement came after a police raid targeting undeclared workers at 16 catering establishments, during which 47 people were arrested for illegal employment or illegal residence.

Labour relations department director Andis Apostolou said some of those identified were legally residing in Cyprus but were working in breach of employment regulations, including students and asylum seekers.

He added that following amendments to immigration legislation, the inspection service plans to introduce administrative fines for illegally employed persons in the coming months, alongside additional penalties for employers.

The ministry said undeclared work rates have declined from around 15 per cent in 2017 to 5 per cent in 2025.

Apostolou said the reduction had reached the target set by the authorities, although he warned that illegal employment remains an ongoing concern.

The service carried out approximately 8,000 inspections in 2025, identifying around 19,000 workers during workplace visits.

Apostolou said the target was to increase capacity to 10,000 inspections annually by the end of 2027.

He said authorities had identified particular concerns in sectors such as construction, where the level of illegal employment was estimated to have exceeded 20 per cent.