The Cabinet has given its approval, and the number of inspectors in the Inspection Service of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security will be doubled so that inspections in workplaces for undeclared and illegal work, said Minister Marinos Mousiouttas, who also noted that the rates of undeclared work have decreased from 15% in 2017 to 5% in 2025. 

At the same time, Antis Apostolou, Director of the Department of Labor Relations, said that in the coming months “we, as the Labor Inspectorate, plan to move forward and issue administrative fines for those employed illegally.” 

When asked to comment on the Ministry of Labor’s report during Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, to comment on the arrest of 47 individuals for illegal employment and illegal residence as part of a pan-Cypriot operation at 16 dining establishments, Mr. Mousiouttas said that “in accordance with the law, we are working to ensure compliance through inspections, whether regarding undeclared work, illegal employment, or terms of employment.”

He noted that the agency currently has between 8 and 10 inspectors, and that we have received approval—either in the new 2027 budget or in the 2026 supplemental budget— we will have additional positions, as the number of inspectors will double and the number of inspections will also double.

“It’s humanly impossible for us to be everywhere,” he added.  

Responding to the same issue, Antis Apostolou, Director of the Department of Labor Relations, said that yesterday’s campaign—which was a targeted operation— was carried out island-wide at food service establishments, and he added that there is a Cabinet decision from the beginning of this administration, outlining specific measures to combat illegal employment, beyond undeclared work. 

He noted that the police had made some arrests related to the illegal residence of foreign nationals in Cyprus, but also of some individuals who were legally in Cyprus but were engaged in illegal employment, whether they were students or asylum seekers. 

“We proceeded to issue administrative fines for undeclared work to those found to be engaged in undeclared work at their workplaces,” he added.

At the same time, Mr. Apostolou said that following the amendment to the law on foreigners and immigration, in the coming months, we at the Inspection Service plan to begin issuing administrative fines for those employed illegally. 

In addition to being undeclared workers, as he explained, if they are also undocumented, additional administrative fines may be imposed on employers. I expect this to happen within the next few months, he added.

When asked to compare the number of people engaged in undeclared work with previous years, Mr. Apostolou said that the Inspection Service’s commitment is that “by the end of 2027, we should be able to conduct 10,000 inspections per year.” 

He noted that in 2025, approximately 8,000 inspections were conducted, “with 19,000 workers identified during our inspectors’ visits.”

He also said that we were able to gradually reduce the rates of undeclared work from nearly 15% in 2017—when the Service began operations—to 5% in 2025, which was the target we had set. 

He also noted that there is a trend toward an increase in illegal employment, which targeted measures are in place, and added that, in addition to increasing joint inspections with the police at various workplaces—not only in the food service sector but also on construction sites— where the rate of illegal employment is estimated to have exceeded 20%.

“I believe that given what lies ahead of us in terms of legislation, along with the gradual establishment of an organizational structure for the Service—as the Minister said, there is a relevant decision by the Council of Ministers—and through the effective use of the Ergani information system, “we will be in a position within the next few months or a year to begin properly cracking down on illegal employment,” he added.

Source: CNA