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Immigration compliance has become a major focus of Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) inspections, and one in which it is “taking a harder line”, a Lewis Silkin webinar on the Irish Employment and Immigration Intersection (6 October) has heard.
Central Statistics Office figures indicate that, by the end of 2024, non-EEA nationals comprised an estimated 10% to 11% of Ireland’s workforce, with a substantially higher percentage in other sectors.
There are also proposed amendments to the employment-permits system, including to the 50:50 rule in the healthcare sector, to alleviate labour shortages.
Consequently, workplace matters increasingly require both employment and immigration-law expertise and this intersection is most frequently seen in WRC inspections.
Lewis Silkin senior associate Emma Quinn explained that inspections could be announced or unannounced, routine, prompted by a complaint or as part of a targeted sector-wide campaign.
They may also involve other agencies – including the gardaí, Revenue, and the Department of Social Protection.
Inspection targets
Food services, hospitality, and agriculture are “regular targets for WRC inspections” but large corporate multinationals have also been scrutinised.
Immigration formed a large part of a WRC inspection, Quinn said, adding “in some cases, inspectors will carry out a separate inspection to ensure right-to-work compliance”.
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