"Indian workers claim they were made to work 17-hour days with no pay, treated like slaves by Auckland restaurant chain,"

A group of 19 Indian migrant workers claim they are being made to work in what they describe as slave-like conditions up to 17 hours per day with no pay at Auckland restaurant chain Daaku Kebab.

The men claim they each paid between $26,000 and $60,000 for the work visas they feel have now trapped them...

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (Mbie) confirmed it had received complaints about alleged migrant exploitation at Daaku Kebab and the matter had been referred to its investigations team.

Daaku Kebab has five outlets across Auckland. One of its two directors, known by the single name Sourav, has denied the allegations as “baseless”...

Sourav denies all the allegations. “These allegations are all denied, but under legal advice I am unable to comment further whilst an investigation is under way.”...

Daljit Singh, a spokesman for the Supreme Sikh Society, said 19 workers linked to Daaku Kebab had sought help from Sikh temples in Papatoetoe and Takanini.

He claimed they had “been scammed”, and said it was his belief that they were paying for a pathway to residency and getting part of the business...

This is the latest among a string of alleged exploitation cases linked to Immigration New Zealand’s accredited employer work visa (AEWV) scheme, which followed an employer-led process to hire migrant workers...