Arrests reveal scale of migrant trafficking for labor exploitation in Europe

Spanish police identified over 300 potential victims of a migrant labor trafficking scheme during a raid. 11 gang members were arrested and authorities say more arrests are possible. The raid underlines that migrants, in this case Nepalis, are being targeted and trafficked to Spain and Europe more broadly as part of a growing web of labor exploitation schemes.  

The very definition of modern slavery 

They entered on a tourist visa and were then bussed out to rural areas to do agricultural work. According to police, the Nepali migrants found on a recent raid were being forced to live in “slavery-like” conditions. Many were working illegal 12-hour days for paltry wages. Even worse, sometimes they were working for no wages at all.  

Spanish police told Infomigrants and journalists:  

The migrants found were packed into poorly ventilated rooms, some of them sleeping on the floor, but still being charged ‘excessive fees’ for rent, transport and food. 

Police also shared that the migrants had limited access to bathrooms and described “living conditions that were completely undignified and inhumane.” By the survivor’s accounts, at least one Nepalese man is believed to have died. The vans used to transport the workers lacked basic safety standards, police said. The worker who was killed died during one of several reported accidents involving the unsafe vans.  

Setting the stage for exploitation 

Over 20% of Nepal’s population live in poverty according to the World Bank. So, Nepalis are increasingly looking abroad for work. But for many, obtaining an official labor permit is impossible. Thus, pushing men, women and sometimes children to accept offers of work that can result in modern slavery. Nepali police records indicate 78% of Nepali trafficking victims were female and 22% male. Tragically, at least a quarter of the victims were children.  

The IOM stated: 

Undocumented migrants are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. They may then be forced to work in brothels, children are forced to work in circuses and coal mines, and men are being trafficked for their body parts. 

According to the IOM, there is evidence that many migrant workers use irregular channels to access foreign employment. And without a labor permit, they are at greater risk of being trafficking and exploitation. Due to the nature of people smuggling, it is difficult to have accurate numbers on how many are seeking employment through irregular channels. But recent figures point to around half of all Nepali families as relying on financial support from relatives abroad. Indeed, the remittances of 2018/19 from Nepalis working abroad made up just over a quarter of the country’s entire GDP (Gross Domestic Product).  

So, what’s the trafficking take-away?  

Just month ago, Spanish police participated in a multi-country Europol trafficking sting operation. The joint effort uncovered 404 migrant victims of labor exploitation and 93 suspected perpetrators across 32 countries.  

During a joint action on an agricultural property in Seville, a Nepalese victim of trafficking in human beings for labor exploitation was identified. The victim was found living in inhumane, unsanitary, and overcrowded conditions.  

On the back of this raid, labor authorities ended up initiating three more investigations due to more migrant workers found working without proper documentation and labor contracts. The arrests of the last few months in Spain alone reveal the growing level of exploitation taking place due to unsafe migration policies and laws. Add your voice to ours and sign our petition calling on governments everywhere to end hostile immigration policies that only serve to perpetuate exploitation.