In a significant operation, Italian police announced on Saturday (July 13) that they have freed 33 Indian farm laborers from slave-like working conditions in the northern Verona province, as reported by Reuters. The police also seized $545,300 (around €500,000) from the alleged abusers of these laborers.
The abusers, who are also from India, brought fellow nationals to Italy on seasonal work permits, charging them €17,000 each and promising them a better future. The workers were subjected to extreme exploitation, working seven days a week, 10-12 hours a day, for just $4.37 per hour, which was entirely docked from their wages until they settled their debts. Some were coerced into continuing to work for free to pay an additional $14,197 for a permanent work permit, which they were never going to receive.
The police described the migrants’ treatment as “slavery” and charged the abusers with crimes related to slavery and labor exploitation. The victims will be offered protection, work opportunities, and legal residency papers.
This incident underscores the ongoing issue of labor shortages in Italy and other European countries, often filled through immigration, particularly for lower-paid jobs. The country’s migrant work visa system has faced multiple cases of fraud.
The operation comes shortly after another tragic event in June, where an Indian fruit picker died after his arm was severed by machinery. Police arrested farm owner Antonello Lovato on suspicion of the homicide of Satnam Singh. Lovato, who was driving the tractor at the time, allegedly abandoned Singh after the accident, refusing entreaties to call an ambulance.
