Crackdown on illegal workers

A crackdown against illegal and undeclared work over the past month has led to €157,900 in fines being imposed with 418 employers inspected and 1387 workers checked.

A whopping 40.6 per cent of the third country national workers who were checked were found to be illegally employed. Third country nationals accounted for 502 of the 1387 workers inspected, meaning that 204 broke the law.

Paphos had the highest amount of third country nationals working illegally as the labour and interior ministry operation uncovered 88 such cases.

It was further announced on Monday that the checks were targeted and centred on hotels, construction sites and restaurants, cafes and bars. The operation began on August 28.

Of the 1387 workers checked there were 98 found to be working undeclared (seven per cent) of whom 67 were third country nationals (66 per cent).

In Limassol, 33 illegal workers from third countries were located. Of these, 28 were illegally employed, two were with forged documents, and three were in Cyprus illegally.

In Larnaca, 29 illegal workers from third countries were located. Of these, ten were illegally employed, four were with forged documents, and 15 were in Cyprus illegally.

In Nicosia, 54 illegal workers from third countries were located. Of these, 24 were illegally employed, six were with forged documents, and 24 were in Cyprus illegally.