Italian police said Saturday that they had freed 33 Indians working in slave-like conditions on farms in the northern province of Verona and seized nearly half a million euros from two suspects involved in the case.
Worker abuse is back in the spotlight in Italy after an accident last June in which an Indian fruit picker lost an arm while using a machine and died from his injuries.
In the most recent case, police said that some of the suspects in the crime, also of Indian origin, brought other Indian citizens on seasonal work visas, demanding payment of 17,000 euros each with the promise of a better future.
The immigrants were sent to work on farms, working seven days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day, receiving just 4 euros an hour, an amount that was withheld by the criminals until they paid all their debts, according to the police, who described the treatment of the immigrants as “conditions similar to slavery.”
Like other European nations, Italy has a severe labor shortage that is commonly filled through immigration, especially in low-wage positions. The country also faces problems with violations of labor laws.
According to 2021 data from Istat, the national statistics institute, approximately 11% of Italian workers are employed illegally, a figure that rises to over 23% in agriculture.
Source: Terra
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