| Abstract: | In response to the growing concern of the French people about immigration, the National Assembly passed a bill on December 12, 1991, to provide for stronger measures against clandestine employment and the illegal entry and residence of foreigners. Despite the fact that the French public has been convinced since 1988 that foreigners pose a threat to employment, clandestine employment grew by 7% in 1991. The new Act requires an employer to register a new employee immediately and to issue a certificate of employment. Employers now share joint responsibility for clandestine employment with the workers and will be held jointly liable for the payment of taxes, charges, etc. Clients of prime contractors who hire subcontractors also have obligations to insure that clandestine employment is not occurring. The Act provides harsher penalties for clandestine employment than those which previously existed, including the barring of foreigners from France (with some exceptions) for a period of five years. Since the clandestine employment market involves between 300,000 and 1 million workers, it may be impossible to implement this Act to any great effect. |
