Marc Angel· S&D

Nuanced

Millions of mobile workers and migrant workers are affected by subcontracting chains.

Omissions

• The specific number of workers actually paying illegal fees is not directly quantified in available sources; the 'millions' figure refers to the total population of mobile/migrant workers at risk rather than verified victims
• The ILO Global Study is global in scope; while it covers Europe, it does not provide a specific Europe-only figure for workers affected by illegal fees
• The 10.2 million figure refers to EU mobile workers specifically; the total including third-country nationals working in the EU would be higher
• The European Labour Authority (ELA) has identified cross-border undeclared work and intermediary abuses as significant issues but without precise quantification of affected workers

Sources

• PrimaryILO Global Study on Recruitment Fees and Related Costs: Second EditionWorker-paid recruitment fees remain a significant global problem affecting migrant workers; increased awareness of risks but continued prevalence of fees charged to workers
• PrimaryEuropean Commission - Annual Report on Intra-EU Labour Mobility 2024976,000 persons moved from EU/EFTA countries to another EU/EFTA country for work in 2023; total EU mobile worker population estimated at 10.2 million (5.2 million male, nearly 5 million female)
• SecondaryREDI - Annual Report on Intra-EU Labour Mobility 2024 EditionApproximately 5.2 million male and nearly 5 million female EU mobile workers (total around 10.2 million)