Marjolein Faber, the Dutch Minister of Asylum and Migration, has imposed a 20-year entry ban on a former ASML employee. This action is generally reserved for national security threats.
No specific reason for the ban was provided by the Department. A Nieuwsuur investigation identified the former employee as a 43-year-old Russian engineer facing charges for violations of sanctions laws.
He allegedly stole technical documents from ASML and Mapper Lithography, aiding Russian chip production, and received payments for it. ASML confirmed the data thefts and stated their policy is not to comment pending trial.
The engineer is currently detained in the Netherlands and will appear in a pro forma hearing in Rotterdam. He previously worked for Mapper Lithography and NXP, and holds several semiconductor patents.
Mapper’s US pressure-driven acquisition by ASML aimed to prevent technology leaks to Russia or China. Mapper, now a Russian firm under US sanctions, is owned by Astron.
The engineer also worked there. ASML also experienced previous data thefts by Chinese employees, linking them to competitors like XTAL and Huawei, amid rising geopolitical tensions in the chip industry.
Source: NOS