Focus on Unlawful Workforce in the Construction Sector's Financial Aspects (HZA-BS)
Customs Conduct Nationwide Inspection on Under-the-Table Work in Construction Industry
The Financial Control of Under-the-Table Work (FKS) of the German Customs, specifically the Main Customs Office of Brunswick, carried out a nationwide focus inspection in the construction industry on June 16, 2025. The purpose of the inspection was to ensure that employers have properly registered their employees for social security, prevent fraudulent social benefits, verify work permits and residence titles of foreign workers, and ensure minimum wages are being paid.
During the inspection, suspicions of illegal residence, under-the-table work, sham self-employment, benefit fraud, and minimum wage violations were raised. As a result, five criminal and five administrative proceedings for illegal residence were initiated, and a total of 40 cases require further investigation by the FKS.
The inspection involved questioning individuals and initial checks of business records on-site. The Main Customs Office of Brunswick, located in Göttingen, Hildesheim, and Brunswick, was responsible for the nationwide focus inspection. The Customs places a particular emphasis on the construction industry in combating under-the-table work.
In the roofing, electrical, and scaffolding trades, branch-specific minimum wages apply. In all other construction industries, the general statutory minimum wage of 12.82 euros gross per hour applies. The Customs conducts regular inspections in the construction industry to detect and punish manipulations, circumventions, and other violations.
The organization that conducted the nationwide control on June 16, 2025, against underground work and illegal employment in construction is the Financial Control of Illegal Employment (Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit) of the German Customs (Zoll), specifically the Customs Main Office Frankfurt (Oder); its headquarters are in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.
Follow-up investigations are extensive, as the data collected from employees must be matched with the companies' payroll and financial records, and further business documents must be examined. The Customs conducts these inspections to maintain fairness and integrity within the industry and to protect both employers and employees from exploitation.
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