News

The action week resulted in: 

• 38 arrests
• 43 suspected traffickers identified
  
• 20 new criminal investigations initiated
  
• 1 583 workers subjected to exploitation and labour violations identified (including 353 identified as possible victims of trafficking of human beings)
  
• 687 employers committing labour violations identified
  
• 156 new inspections by labour authorities initiated
  
• 29 forged documents identified
  
• 27 653 persons checked
  
• 3 148 locations checked
  
• 17 231 documents checked
  
• 3 204 vehicles checked
  

Similar criminal practices in various countries 

Behind the sobering figures reported by the participating law enforcement and labour authorities are an equal number of persons affected by this ruthless exploitation. Workers in the agricultural sector, especially those in low-skilled and informal roles, face a substantial risk of exploitation, which is even higher for those working in seasonal jobs. Criminal networks often recruit victims from their home countries and subject them to long hours, low wages and harsh conditions, with no possibility of returning home. Exploitation tactics include the use of fake documents and violations of minimum wage laws, with EU citizens exploited year-round and non-EU citizens mostly in seasonal roles. 

Investigators across Europe have confirmed similar modi operandi in relation to the trafficking of human beings for agriculture and labour exploitation. These range from violations of laws on minimum wages or working hours, mismatches between payments and the employees’ actual working hours, to the employment of minors and practices such as debt bondage or the withholding of identity or travel documents. Officials checked thousands of documents such as residence permits, as these are often forged, counterfeited or misused through the look-alike method. In addition to working illegally and thus outside the legal framework that protects them, workers often face deplorable housing and sanitary conditions as well.

Fake job adverts lure workers into labour exploitation 

Europol offers a guide on how to spot fake job adverts used by criminals to exploit vulnerable jobseekers. These deceptive schemes involve posting enticing job listings, often from fake companies, or misrepresenting working conditions to attract victims. The targets are usually people in precarious economic situations seeking to improve their financial situation, with many advertisements offering opportunities abroad to further isolate victims. This scam typically unfolds in three steps: the publication of attractive job adverts on social media and recruitment websites, followed by contact with applicants via messaging apps, and finally, the arrival of victims at workplaces with poor conditions that do not even remotely resemble what was promised. To protect themselves, jobseekers are advised to conduct background checks on the company and recruiters, scrutinize job details for unrealistic claims, and look out for grammar and spelling errors in the adverts. 

Some examples of exploitative working conditions uncovered in this recent operation include Bulgarian workers housed under appalling sanitary conditions, Thai nationals recruited to pick berries being forced to work day and night, and Polish slaughterhouse workers receiving payments in cash without being covered by collective bargaining agreements. In one case in the forestry sector, workers from Belarus without work permits had to use dangerous machinery without proper training and had no access to toilets or indoor areas to rest and eat.