The Dutch government announced that it would maintain a controversial system that allows employers to deduct a portion of migrant workers’ wages to cover housing costs, Dutch media, including the new platform NLTimes, reported in November.  

The practice, which allows employers to withhold as much as 25 percent of a worker’s minimum wage to cover for employer-provided accommodation, has long been criticized by labor rights groups who claim that it increases workers’ vulnerability to exploitation.  

Employers, who are reportedly temporary staffing agencies, also act as landlords and are allowed to withhold up to 144 euros a week from the earnings of seasonal workers to pay for their accommodation. Rights groups have slammed the policy, saying that it leaves already vulnerable workers homeless once their job ends. This puts workers at additional risk of not only homelessness, but also exploitation.  

Previously, the practice was to be phased out starting next year. Current Caretaker Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Mariëlle Paul acknowledged that the current policy opens the door to potential “undesirable business practices” but countered that the current rules have safeguards that include rent standards, housing quality, and pricing transparency, which offer at least some level of protection.  

'Disposable work'

A 2025 investigation by the Dutch Safety Board (DSB) “Safety of Migrant Workers — an investigation of the work-related safety of migrant workers in the Netherlands” revealed that more than 200,000 migrant workers in the Netherlands occupy a “vulnerable position.” The report finds that migrant workers are disproportionately likely to hold flexible or non-permanent jobs in hazardous sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, construction, logistics, and meat processing. 

Employers who rely heavily on temporary contracts to recruit migrant workers often have fewer incentives to invest in safe working environments. Seasonal migrant workers often depend on agencies or employers not only for their jobs and income but also for their accommodation. The study found that many feel unable or are simply too afraid to insist on their right to a safe workplace.

When demand for personnel falls or workers fall ill, they can be replaced quickly and with little cost. This creates a system of “disposable work,” where time, resources, and attention to safety are routinely sacrificed in favor of flexibility and speed.

According to Chris van Dam, chairperson of the DSB, there is a clear connection between these precarious working arrangements and the unsafe conditions migrant workers face. In some industries, as much as 80 percent of the workforce is hired temporarily, even though the work is continuous. This practice must change, he says, through binding commitments in collective labour agreements or sector-wide regulations. 

''It is precisely this accumulation of risk-increasing factors that demands additional attention and effort on the part of employers," van Dam said in a statement.

Read Also

How will the EU's forced labor regulation impact the agricultural sector?

Prone to trafficking and debt bondage

According to a study by the University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the exact number of migrant workers in the Netherlands is difficult to determine. However, based on statistics such as the Netherlands Migrant Monitor, there are an estimated 21,200 workers, mostly from Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, employed in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.  

However, the study stated that the figure may exclude seasonal workers who work a maximum of four out of six months, as registration is not required. The study pointed out that in the horticulture sector, employers estimated that they employ 139,000 people. During peak periods, this number can skyrocket to 248,000 people. 

Seasonal workers, who work under temporary visas, are extremely vulnerable to trafficking and forced labor. A study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) states that in the last decade, the proportion of victims trafficked for labor exploitation and forced labor reported in the EU member states has increased to approximately 40 percent of all victims of trafficking. Over 70 percent of adults trafficked for forced labor in agriculture, domestic work or manufacturing are in debt bondage. 

Read AlsoFilipino workers slam Dutch Prosecutor's dismissal of exploitation case against luxury gym