Raid in Vienna: Illegal work in Asian restaurants massively uncovered!

Raid in Vienna: Illegal work in Asian restaurants massively uncovered!

In a large-scale raid last Saturday, numerous violations of work and residence regulations were uncovered in several Asian restaurants in Vienna. The joint operation, carried out by the police, financial police and city authorities, ended with seven arrests for illegal residence and illegal work. These controls are the result of a comprehensive effort to combat undeclared work, which is fairly widespread in the catering industry.

The authorities were astonished when, during their search, they found an employee hiding behind a box in a cavity measuring just one square meter. This secret hiding place appeared to have been created specifically for workers without official employment status. The check took place in a number of restaurants, including a Chinese restaurant in Simmering, where several employees tried to escape with fake IDs.

Control balance and displays

As the crown reported, the inspection was carried out in two time windows and the results were alarming. In total, the city of Vienna filed 22 reports of violations of trade regulations and the smoking ban. In addition, the financial police filed 28 reports of violations of working time and immigration laws as well as suspicion of wage and social dumping. Three further reports of unlawful receipt of labor market services also came to light. This shows once again how important the measures to combat undeclared work are.

Walter Hillerer, head of the immediate measures group, emphasized how important cooperation between the various institutions is for the protection of employees, companies and guests. This cooperation is crucial to ensure fairness in the labor market and to take even more preventive action against illegal employment practices.

The dimension of the problem

The phenomenon of undeclared work is not an isolated problem. According to that Federal Ministry of Finance In 2024, economic damage of around 766 million euros was recorded due to undeclared work. The auditing organizations are under great demand with around 25,000 employer audits and almost 97,000 investigations initiated. The numbers show that the issue not only affects the catering industry, but almost all sectors of the economy, especially the wage-intensive sectors.

In addition, there are legal regulations such as the Act to Combat Undeclared Employment, which has expanded the powers of financial control. Employers are obliged to pay correct social security contributions and are not allowed to employ non-EU citizens without a residence permit.

This repeatedly leads to heated discussions about fairness and social justice in the labor market. The recent incidents in Vienna are an urgent appeal not to close our eyes to reality and also a clear indication to those affected to protect themselves legally and not end up on the dark side of the labor market.

A solid foundation for the economy therefore relies not only on professional success, but also on social responsibility. Because undeclared work not only harms employees, but also our entire social system.