“Internship Scam” Exposed: Foreign Nurses Used as Cheap Labor in Netherlands
Dutch authorities have fined multiple healthcare institutions and a college nearly €700,000 for exploiting Indonesian nursing graduates, who were brought to the Netherlands under false promises and then used as full-time workers.
The investigation by the Netherlands Labour Authority revealed that at least 62 Indonesian nurses were recruited through a coordinated arrangement involving Habeo+ (a Brabant-based college), recruitment agency Yomema, and healthcare providers in Flevoland and Drenthe.
The nurses were promised enrollment in a bachelor-level nursing program, where they would work limited hours as interns. Instead, investigators found they were deployed as full-time staff nurses, performing regular duties without proper authorization or supervision.
Authorities concluded that the scheme was designed to bypass labor laws by misusing student residency rules. Employers failed to obtain required work permits, violating the Wet arbeid vreemdelingen (Foreign Nationals Employment Act) and minimum wage regulations.
The Brabant college received a €347,200 fine, while the Drenthe care provider was fined €224,000. The Flevoland institution faced €132,000 in fines for labor violations and an additional €33,000 for wage-related offenses, along with warnings of potential shutdowns.
Investigators also uncovered that one care provider initially repaid withheld wages to 22 workers, only to later demand the money back—sometimes in higher amounts—claiming reimbursement for costs. Many nurses paid out of fear, a practice authorities described as unlawful and deeply concerning.
Concerns about the program had been raised as early as 2021 by officials from the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service), who warned it appeared to be a system designed to import cheap labor rather than provide genuine education.
Many of the affected nurses reported feeling misled and exploited after arriving in the Netherlands. Several participants eventually left the program, which has since collapsed and led to legal disputes between the involved organizations.
The Labour Authority stated that the case highlights a broader pattern of labor exploitation, where profit-driven arrangements undermine worker protections and legal safeguards.