Italian police announced on Saturday that they had rescued 33 Indian agricultural workers from conditions akin to slavery in the northern province of Verona, and confiscated nearly half a million euros from their two alleged exploiters.
This development comes in the wake of heightened scrutiny on labor exploitation in Italy, following a June incident where an Indian fruit picker lost his arm in a machinery accident. In the recent case, police alleged that the two Indian gangmasters lured their compatriots to Italy with seasonal work permits, demanding 17,000 euros each with promises of a brighter future. The workers were then assigned farm duties, laboring seven days a week for 10-12 hours daily at a rate of just 4 euros per hour, which was withheld until they repaid their debts, according to police who characterized their treatment as 'slavery'.
Some workers were further compelled to work without pay to cover an additional 13,000 euros for a permanent work permit that would never materialize, according to the police report. The accused are now facing charges related to slavery and labor exploitation, while the victims are slated to receive protection, job opportunities, and legal residency status.
Italy, like other European countries, faces increasing labor shortages, often addressed through immigration, especially in lower-wage sectors. The country's migrant work visa system has been marred by fraud, and it also grapples with labor law violations. Data from the national statistics office Istat in 2021 revealed that approximately 11% of Italian workers were employed illegally, a figure that rises to over 23% in the agricultural sector.
