Arrest of Spanish Businessmen for Exploiting Moroccans in Hard Labor for Residency
Spanish police have arrested two agricultural business owners on the island of Mallorca for charging exorbitant fees to Moroccan seasonal workers seeking employment contracts and legal status in Spain, followed by subjecting them to labor exploitation.
According to a statement by the Spanish police, as reported by “Europa Press,” extensive three-month investigations revealed that the arrested Spanish businessmen, along with a third person responsible for recruiting workers in Morocco, charged fees ranging from 15,000 to 22,000 euros for work contracts that enabled legal entry into Spain.
An additional amount ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 euros was collected from the foreigners to regularize their legal status through the company, resulting in 26 individuals obtaining legal residency this way, according to the statement.
The accumulated debts forced the seasonal workers, who needed to maintain their legal status, to endure “abusive” working conditions that violated labor agreements, added the Spanish police statement.
At the conclusion of the investigations, the business owners were arrested on charges of human trafficking for labor exploitation, facilitating illegal immigration, and membership in a criminal organization.
The police’s foreign nationals investigation unit continues to probe the case and has not ruled out the possibility of further arrests.
This case resembles the “Buen Voyage” operation conducted by the Spanish Civil Guard last July in the regions of Murcia and Albacete, which exposed a criminal organization deceiving and exploiting hundreds of temporary Moroccan and Senegalese workers.
These workers paid between 4,000 and 6,000 euros in their home countries for difficult jobs in Spain but earned only 200 euros a month after unlawful deductions.
They were also forced to pay additional amounts ranging from 4,000 to 12,000 euros to remain in Spain illegally after their contracts expired.
