The Employer Sanctions Directive sets out rules to target employers who employ irregular migrants. For example, employers hiring undeclared workers would face sanctions, including fines and paying back wages to their workers. In some cases – such as repeated or conscious hiring of undocumented migrants, or hiring of children or victims of human trafficking – the employers could be punished under criminal law. Furthermore, the legislation includes protection measures in favour of non-EU workers, especially those exploited by unscrupulous employers.