Six Finnish Employers Face Heavy Penalties for Hiring Illegal Immigrants

The Finnish Immigration Service has imposed penalty fees on six employers for illegally hiring non-European Union citizens who did not have the right to reside in Finland.

The fines, issued over the summer, are part of a broader effort to reduce the appeal of undocumented immigration and undeclared work.

Under the Finnish Employment Contracts Act, companies caught employing undocumented workers face fines ranging from 1,250 to 37,530 euros. Employers may also be required to cover the deportation costs of the workers involved.

The size of the penalty depends on whether the violation was intentional or repeated. The number of undocumented employees also affects the final fee.

The largest fine of 30,000 euros was issued to a construction company. The employer had ignored previous warnings and police fines, employing at least four undocumented workers over several years.

A food manufacturing business received a 10,000 euro penalty for employing two people without valid permits for three years. The fine was reduced because the employees initially had valid residence permits when their employment began.

Three other companies, two in the restaurant sector and one in shipbuilding, each received a 5,000 euro fine.

Tuuli Huhtilainen, a process owner at the immigration agency, stated in a press release that the penalties aim to diminish the shadow economy.

The agency investigated ten reports received from the police, regional licensing authorities, and its own permit processing units. Seven of those cases resulted in penalties, with two cases involving the same employer.

Foreign workers in Finland, especially those from outside the European Union, must hold a valid residence permit that includes the right to work. Employers are legally responsible for verifying this status before hiring.

Employing foreign labor without ensuring their legal status contributes to Finland’s shadow economy. Authorities heavily monitor this in high-risk sectors like construction and catering.

The penalty decisions are not yet legally final and can still be appealed.