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The Swedish Presidency of the EUCPN will focus on the following theme: “The prevention of work-related crime”

Work-related crime is deliberate and often systematic activities to break laws, rules or agreements in a work-related context at the expense of workers, other companies or the State. Work-related crime encompasses many different phenomena. It can for example be criminal exploitation of subcontracted employment, tax avoidance, breaking migration law and the rules for labour immigration. The most serious cases involve criminal offences such as human trafficking, human exploitation, work environment offences, tax crimes and financial crimes. Work-related crime occurs in many sectors, but the risk is considered to be greatest in the construction, restaurant, transport and cleaning industries, and in health, care and social services. Work-related crime involves large sums of money and has negative consequences for workers, serious entrepreneurs, society and public finances. It feeds organised crime and drains the welfare system and social security systems of resources. Some of the actors who carry out these criminal activities have demonstrated their ability to operate in multiple areas. Efforts to fight work-related crime hence require permanent inter-agency collaboration. Work-related crime is international in nature, not least through the exploitation of foreign workers. Networks and operators behind work-related crime can have connections to several countries. There may be a need for international cooperation between authorities in order to counter cross-border work-related crime.

In Sweden, the government formed a national delegation against work-related crime in 2021. The delegation has a wide approach, supporting and bringing together different actors to fight and prevent work-related crime and encouraging them to work together and share their experiences. The Swedish Government has also adopted a national strategy consisting of 45 measures against work-related crime, divided into seven main areas