Migrant workers in the Netherlands often find themselves in vulnerable and uncertain working conditions, where exploitation seems to be the norm rather than the exception. This is evident from the provocative PhD research of criminologist Ruben Timmerman. For this research, he spent a year working in the construction, logistics and food processing sectors. For this work, he received the Royal Holland Society of Sciences (KHMW) Thesis Prize for Social Sciences and the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation Dissertation Prize. Under the supervision of Richard Staring and Rene van Swaaningen, Timmerman researched how this ‘rotten system’ came about and how it can be improved.
In his dissertation entitled By invisible hands: Work, exploitation, and the migrant division of labourl, Timmerman describes how migrant workers in the Netherlands are often underpaid, face unsafe situations, and live under inhumane conditions. His work is an indictment of what he calls a ‘rotten system’: "The problems are not caused by a few bad apples, as is often claimed, but by the structure in which companies and employment agencies systematically shift responsibility."
Strategic ignorance
Timmerman worked through five employment agencies and experienced how migrant workers were often expected to work in dangerous, precarious and uncertain working conditions. According to Timmerman not only the employment agencies are responsible, but the system also enables large companies to remain ‘strategically ignorant’ about harmful labour practices in their supply chains. The use of different employment agencies results in a complex supply chains whereby companies are often blind to the conditions of migrants on the work floor, and are easily able to avoid their own responsibility for harmful labour practices.
Structural reform
This can and must be improved, Timmerman states: "The Netherlands can become a leader in decent work, if we really choose to do so." However, this is only possible if the system undergoes structural reform. This means stricter regulation, a reduction in the number of employment agencies, and more permanent contracts for structural work to provide greater security for migrant workers.
Timmerman expressed his delight at receiving the dissertation awards: “I was absolutely delighted to hear that I had won the awards. It is a great honour, and I hope to use these awards to further raise awareness and public consciousness regarding the circumstances of migrant workers in the Netherlands. In the months following my PhD defence, I found it very encouraging that, partly due to the attention my thesis received, the position of migrant workers has received so much attention in politics and the media. I hope this continues and translates into lasting improvements for migrant workers. Ultimately, I hope my research can also contribute to this.”
Unique recognition for exceptional research
The KHMW Thesis Prize for the Social Sciences was established as an incentive award for researchers who have recently obtained their PhD, to recognise research in the field of the social sciences. The KHMW jury, comprising Renske Keizer, Carolien van Ham and Paul ’t Hart, unanimously decided to award the prize to Timmerman.
The Praemium Erasmianum Dissertation Prize has been awarded annually since 1988 for outstanding dissertations in the fields of the Humanities, the Social Sciences and Law. A maximum of five prizes are awarded to young researchers who have successfully defended a thesis of exceptionally high quality at a Dutch university. Timmerman was selected as one of the five winners in 2026.
Supervisors Staring and Van Swaaningen reflect with pride on this exceptionally valuable research: “These awards are a testament to the high regard in which Ruben’s outstanding qualities are held. It is also fantastic that these prestigious awards shine a spotlight on the intensive, non-standard ethnographic research into complex, large-scale and socially relevant themes. For us as supervisors, that is a double delight!”
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