Italy: Report reveals use of legal loopholes, bribery, threats & violence to trap Indian workers in exploitative conditions
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Sep 2024
Location: Italy
Companies
Lavoro e Progresso coop - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Shipping & handling: General , Gender not reported , Undocumented migrants )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Debt Bondage , Access to Information , Freedom of Expression , Intimidation , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time , Forced Labour & Modern Slavery , Denial of permanent contractsResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
Action taken: Lavoro e Progresso coop did not respond to a request for comment.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Sep 2024
Location: Italy
Companies
Mg Service coop - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Shipping & handling: General , Gender not reported , Undocumented migrants )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Debt Bondage , Access to Information , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time , Intimidation , Freedom of Expression , Denial of permanent contracts , Forced Labour & Modern SlaveryResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
Action taken: Mg Service coop did not respond to a request for comment.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Sep 2024
Location: Italy
Companies
Comservice Soc Coop - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Supermarkets & grocery , Gender not reported , Undocumented migrants )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Debt Bondage , Access to Information , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time , Denial of permanent contracts , Freedom of Expression , Forced Labour & Modern Slavery , IntimidationResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
Action taken: Comservice Soc Coop did not respond to a request for comment.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Sep 2024
Location: Italy
Companies
Sky Coop - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Shipping & handling: General , Gender not reported , Undocumented migrants )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Debt Bondage , Access to Information , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time , Denial of permanent contracts , Forced Labour & Modern Slavery , Freedom of ExpressionResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
Action taken: Sky Coop did not respond to a request for comment.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Sep 2024
Location: Italy
Companies
East West Trading srl - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Shipping & handling: General , Gender not reported , Undocumented migrants )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Debt Bondage , Access to Information , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time , Denial of permanent contracts , Intimidation , Forced Labour & Modern Slavery , Freedom of ExpressionResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist
Action taken: East West Trading srl did not respond to a request for comment.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Sep 2024
Location: Italy
Companies
Maxi Di - BuyerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Shipping & handling: General , Gender not reported , Undocumented migrants )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Debt Bondage , Access to Information , Freedom of Expression , Intimidation , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time , Forced Labour & Modern Slavery , Denial of permanent contractsResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist - Al Jazeera
Action taken: Maxi Di did not respond to requests for comment.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Sep 2024
Location: Italy
Companies
Aspiag - BuyerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Shipping & handling: General , Gender not reported , Undocumented migrants )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Debt Bondage , Access to Information , Freedom of Expression , Intimidation , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time , Forced Labour & Modern Slavery , Denial of permanent contractsResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist - Al Jazeera
Action taken: Aspiag did not respond to requests for comment.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 4 Sep 2024
Location: Italy
Companies
Unicomm - BuyerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Shipping & handling: General , Gender not reported , Undocumented migrants )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Debt Bondage , Access to Information , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time , Denial of permanent contracts , Intimidation , Forced Labour & Modern Slavery , Freedom of ExpressionResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist - Al Jazeera
Action taken: Unicomm did not respond to requests for comment.
Source type: News outlet
" An Indian fixer lured workers to Italy. They say he used threats, violence", 4 September 2024
Tara Chand Tanwar recruited hundreds into exploitative employment, according to an Al Jazeera-Lavialibera investigation.
...
From 2012 to August 2022, hundreds of Indian citizens paid up to 20,000 euros each to Tara Chand Tanwar, an Indian citizen from Sujangarh, Rajasthan, to take up jobs in Italy, where they were subjected to exploitative working and living conditions
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Al Jazeera and Lavialibera interviewed 32 people, including 14 workers, and examined court documents and business records to show how Tanwar was able to exploit weaknesses in Italy’s migration and procurement laws to implement a system of bribery, blackmail, threats and violence designed to keep workers trapped in dire conditions.
...
For 10 years, Tanwar “created a regime of terror” by running “a criminal organisation that used methods bordering on mafia tactics”
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On July 12, 2024, the public prosecutor of the Court of Padua, Marco Brusegan, informed Tanwar that preliminary investigations against him were concluded and sufficient evidence had been gathered to request his indictment.
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To operate legally, agents like Tanwar must register with India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and obtain a licence to recruit workers for roles abroad.
Tanwar, however, never held such a licence, according to the MEA’s list of registered agents.