Businesses and individuals who employ undocumented workers in Aruba face administrative fines of up to Afl. 10,000 per worker for a natural person and up to Afl. 25,000 per worker for a company, under a tightened sanction policy announced by Justice Minister mr. drs. Arthur Dowers and reported October 27.
The change comes as the Hunto pa Progreso regularisation programme enters its final phase. After the opportunities offered under that programme, enforcement will be strengthened, Dowers announced at a press conference reported by 24ora.
How the fines work
The fines are per undocumented worker. A natural person employing an undocumented worker can be fined up to Afl. 10,000 for each such worker; a company can be fined up to Afl. 25,000 per undocumented worker. The amounts form part of a change in sanction policy for businesses and persons employing people without the required status.
The sequence matters, as the minister presented it: regularisation opportunities were offered first under Hunto pa Progreso, and with that programme now in its final phase, the emphasis shifts to enforcement against those who continue to employ undocumented workers.
First permit applications must come from abroad
Dowers also clarified the rules for bringing in foreign workers legally. First work-permit applications must be made from abroad: applicants wait outside Aruba for the VTA (temporary admission) and for medical tests.
Starting the process while the foreign employee is already in Aruba usually results in denial, the minister said. Employers who want to hire from abroad therefore need to complete the application while the worker is still outside the country.
Together, the two announcements define the government’s position as Hunto pa Progreso winds down: a closing window for regularisation, heavier fines for employing undocumented workers — up to Afl. 25,000 per worker for companies — and a reminder that the legal route for new foreign employees runs from abroad, not after arrival.
Sources: 24ora
