Dutch cabinet moves to end wage deductions for migrant workers by 2028
The government will repeal the rule allowing agencies to withhold migrant workers' wages for housing, with the change slated for mid-2028.
In a letter to parliament, Social Affairs Minister Hans Vijlbrief said the cabinet will eliminate the provision that lets temporary-employment agencies retain a portion of migrant workers' wages to cover housing costs, with the change expected by mid-2028. The policy had been halted in late 2025 by outgoing minister Mariëlle Paul, who delayed the announcement until after the general election despite internal warnings. Investigations revealed Paul knowingly concealed the timing of the decision, prompting criticism from several parliamentary groups.
Vijlbrief now plans to align the repeal with the implementation of the Housing Contracts Act, which will grant better rental safeguards to migrant workers. The combined reforms aim to prevent employers from profiting from low wages and substandard housing, reducing dependency and underpayment among foreign labourers.
Why it matters
It seeks to protect migrant workers from wage exploitation and poor housing, addressing a long-standing labour abuse issue in the Netherlands.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTBoth camps report the cabinet’s plan to end wage deductions for migrant workers, but left-leaning coverage emphasizes the prior minister’s concealment and frames the reform as preventing exploitation, while centrist coverage stresses the concrete deduction limits and quotes officials labeling the practice as exploitation.
LEFT
Frames the reform as a response to prior misconduct and a means to stop exploitation of migrant workers
CENTER
Focuses on the upcoming ban on wage deductions and highlights the exploitative nature of the current system
The left emphasises
- investigations revealed Paul knowingly concealed the timing of the decision
- the combined reforms aim to prevent employers from profiting from low wages
In this story
