Victims can be given safety, work, and authorized residency papers, the police stated (Representational)
Rome:
Italian police stated on Saturday they’d freed 33 Indian farm labourers from slave-like working circumstances within the northern Verona province and seized nearly half one million euros ($545,300) from their two alleged abusers.
Labour exploitation is within the highlight in Italy following an accident in June during which an Indian fruit picker died after his arm was severed by equipment.
Within the newest case, police stated the alleged gang masters, additionally from India, introduced fellow nationals to Italy on seasonal work permits, asking them to pay 17,000 euros every and promising them a greater future.
The migrants got farm jobs, working seven days per week and 10-12 hours a day for simply 4 euros an hour, which was solely docked from them till they settled all their money owed, the police stated, describing the migrants’ remedy as “slavery”.
Some had been requested to proceed working at no cost to pay a further 13,000 euros for a everlasting work allow “which, in actuality, would have by no means been given to them,” the police assertion stated.
The alleged abusers had been charged with crimes related to slavery and labour exploitation, whereas the victims can be supplied safety, work alternatives, and authorized residency papers, the police stated.
Like different European nations, Italy has rising labour shortages usually stuffed through immigration, significantly in lower-paid jobs, and has a migrant work visa system that has confronted instances of fraud.
The nation additionally has an issue with labour regulation violations. In response to 2021 knowledge from nationwide statistics workplace Istat, about 11% of Italian employees had been employed illegally, rising to greater than 23% in agriculture.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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