~5,000+ workers without papers registered~
PHILIPSBURG--A total of XCG 14,096.061 million has been spent on healthcare costs for undocumented persons who do not contribute to Social and Health Insurance SZV over the past four years, with costs rising each year and reaching XCG 5.6 million in 2024 alone.
The figures were provided by Minister of Public Health Social Development and Labour VSA Richinel Brug during the live Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday.
The minister said there are currently just over 5,000 undocumented individuals currently registered at SZV.
According to the minister between 2021 and 2024, “alarming” amounts were spent on medical assistance for undocumented individuals. In 2021 xcg 1,876,983 was spent, in 2022 xcg 2,603,180 was forked out, in 2023 xcg 4,012,156 was paid and in 2024 xcg 5,603,742 was expended.
The minister said his office has recently issued statements focusing on issues like hiring undocumented workers. He said since taking office, one of the main objectives of the administration has been to tackle the financial instability of our health-care system.
He outlined that previous and current administrations have taken steps to address the crisis, including the drafting of the National Health Insurance (NHI), which is currently at the social economic council SER, as well as the drafting of a visitor’s tax in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the continuation of the B1 policy. However, Brug said that, “these steps alone cannot solve our current healthcare crisis.”
“For this reason, I have also requested information from SZV on statistic regarding how much money we are currently spending on undocumented persons who do not contribute to SZV for medical assistance over the last 4 years,” he said and provided the figures.
Brug urged employers to act responsibly, especially when hiring foreign nationals: “We continue to ask business owner to abide by our labour laws, and even if you still hire a foreign national without the proper work permit, the system still allows you to register your employees at SZV for medical coverage. Failure to do so you are actually putting the individual at risk and the community at large.”
Undocumented workers often face “unfair wages, unsafe working conditions and zero access to health care or social services. The hiring process for foreign nationals, includes registering the vacancy at Labor Affairs, advertising it in a local newspaper for five weeks, and processing the application within six weeks.
To support enforcement, a joint task force between the Ministries of Justice, TEATT, and VSA operated from January 16 to November 2023, during which 109 applications were received.
Brug said the public will continue to hear from him on these matters, as the ministry pushes toward a fairer, more transparent, and responsible labour environment for all.
