33 Indian Farmers freed from ‘Slavery’ by Italian Police

Police in Italy have rescued 33 Indian farmers from conditions akin to slavery in the Verona province.

Nearly 500,000 Euros (£430,000) were seized from two suspected abusers.

According to police, the alleged suspects, also of Indian origin, brought their compatriots to Italy on seasonal work permits, demanding 17,000 Euros (£14,600) from each individual and promising a better life.

The migrants were employed on farms, working seven days a week for 10 to 12 hours daily, earning just 4 Euros (£3.45) per hour.

Their wages were entirely withheld until they had settled their debts, a practice the police described as “slavery”.

In some cases, the Indian farmers were asked to continue working without pay to cover an additional 13,000 Euros (£11,000) for a permanent work permit, “which, in reality, would have never been given to them”.

The alleged abusers face charges related to slavery and labour exploitation, while the victims will receive protection, employment opportunities, and legal residency documents.

The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of labour exploitation in Italy.

Concerns were raised in June 2024 when an Indian farmer died after he was left on the side of the road following an accident in which his arm was severed and his legs crushed.

Satnam Singh was injured by heavy machinery while working in a vegetable field in Latina, a rural area close to Rome with a large community of Indian immigrant labourers.

It was reported that his employer, Antonello Lovato, loaded him and his wife into a van and left them by the side of the road near their home.

The severed arm was placed in a fruit box.

Medical help did not reach Satnam until an hour and a half later. He was airlifted to a hospital in Rome but died on June 19, 2024.

Laura Hardeep Kaur, general secretary of the Frosinone-Latina unit of the Flai Cgil union, said:

“Adding to the horror of the accident is the fact that, instead of being rescued, the Indian farm worker was dumped near his home.”

“He was left on the road like a bag of rags, like a sack of rubbish… despite his wife begging [the employer] to take him to hospital.

“Here we are not only faced with a serious workplace accident, which in itself is already alarming, we are faced with barbaric exploitation. Enough now.”

Like other European countries, Italy is battling increasing labour shortages, often addressed through immigration, particularly in lower-wage sectors.

The country has a migrant work visa system that has been subject to instances of fraud.

Additionally, Italy faces challenges with labour law violations.

It is reported that approximately 11% of Italian workers were employed illegally in 2021, with the figure rising to over 23% in the agricultural sector.