The Limits of State Control in Regulating Live‐In Care Work in The Netherlands

Across Europe, migrant live‐in care workers from Central and Eastern Europe play an increasingly important role in long‐term care systems. These arrangements are often associated with precarious working conditions, including long hours, low pay, and blurred boundaries between work and private life. The Netherlands is sometimes considered an exception, as generous cash‐for‐care subsidies combined with relatively strict regulation suggest that live‐in care workers should be protected from such conditions. Yet reports of exploitation continue to emerge. This article examines how precarious working conditions persist despite extensive regulation. Drawing on a qualitative study of Slovak migrant live‐in care workers and intermediaries operating between Slovakia and the Netherlands, the analysis explores how care arrangements are organised and governed in practice. The findings show that formal compliance with labour regulations often coexists with expectations of near‐constant availability. Intermediaries play a central role in structuring these arrangements, shaping recruitment, contracts, and mobility between households and workers. Using a framework that examines the interaction between funding, regulation, information, and enforcement in welfare markets, the article demonstrates how generous public funding and strong regulation can still produce regulatory blind spots. By focusing on the everyday experiences of migrant workers and the role of intermediaries, the study contributes to debates on the governance of migrant care labour and the regulation of household‐based care markets.