Italy: Milan police arrest Chinese‐national owner of fashion workshop for allegedly exploiting undocumented migrants in 90-hour workweeks
"Italy arrests Chinese workshop owner over labour exploitation in fashion supply chain", Reuters, 20 May 2025
Italian police said on Tuesday they arrested a Chinese national for alleged labour exploitation and shut down a workshop in the Milan area producing items for the fashion industry.
Checks are currently under way on the branded clothing products found in the workshop [...].
Police identified 10 Chinese labourers who were victims of exploitation. Six of them were working off the books without proper registration and five were also illegal immigrants.
The staff were forced to work up to 90 hours a week, seven days a week, and were paid 4 euros ($4.50) an hour [...].
The police investigation was launched when a worker reported his employer for breaking his hand, causing injuries that required 45 days of treatment, after the worker demanded 10,000 euros in unpaid wages.