Strengthening the rights of posted third-country nationals in their EU Member State of residence and employment

Mijke Houwerzijl and Imke van Gardingen
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Mijke Houwerzijl: Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
Imke van Gardingen: Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam and Dutch trade union FNV, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 2025, vol. 31, issue 1, 89-103

Abstract: This article questions the trend of admitting third-country nationals to an EU Member State for the purpose of posting them to another EU Member State. The reality of the workers concerned does not match the assumptions underlying the legal regime for intra-EU posting. As a result, it is easier to exploit their labour and their legal immigration status is jeopardised both during and after the posting. This also makes fictitious their ability to exercise rights that depend on this status, such as access to certain social security benefits. The trend of ‘labour immigration for the purpose of posting’ is fuelled by a complex and opaque interplay of regulatory frameworks and ambiguous judicial interpretation of key legal criteria for posting. Recent case-law might help to mitigate this trend. Also, a revised EU directive has potential to marginally improve the rights of posted third-country nationals in the EU state where they are admitted. However, we conclude that more thorough measures are needed.

Keywords: Posting of workers; third-country national; free movement of services; social security coordination; migrant worker; single permit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:treure:v:31:y:2025:i:1:p:89-103

DOI: 10.1177/10242589251324658

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