Dozens of Indian workers freed from ‘slavery’ in Italy
Dozens of Indian farm labourers have been freed from slave-like working conditions in northern Italy, police have said.
The 33 workers were lured to Italy on the promise of jobs and a better future by two fellow Indian nationals, police say.
But instead, they were allegedly forced to work more than 10 hours a day, seven days a week for a tiny wage which was used to pay off debts to the alleged gangmasters.
The two men – who were found with approximately $545,300 (£420,000) – have been arrested.
The exploitation of farmhands – both Italian and migrant – in Italy is a well-known issue. Thousands of people work in fields, vineyards and greenhouses dotted across the country, often without contracts and in highly dangerous conditions.
Just last month, an Indian fruit picker died after his arm was severed in a work accident.
The man had allegedly been left on the side of the road following the accident, which also left his legs crushed.
His employer is now under investigation for criminal negligence and manslaughter.
The 33 men rescued by police in the Province of Verona had paid €17,000 ($18,554, £14,293) or 1.5m rupees each in return for seasonal work permits and jobs, according to a police statement sent to the BBC.
To raise the funds, police said, some pawned their family assets, while others borrowed the money from their employers.
But they were only paid €4 per hour for their 10 to 12-hour days, with that sum settling any debt owed.
Their passports were also confiscated as soon as they arrived in Italy and they were banned from leaving their “dilapidated” apartments.
“Every morning, the workers piled into vehicles covered in tarpaulin where they hid among boxes of vegetables until they reached the Verona countryside for work,” the police statement said.
—BBC
