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Doha – Two Spanish agricultural business owners on the island of Mallorca have been arrested by the Spanish National Police for allegedly charging Moroccan seasonal workers exorbitant fees to obtain work contracts and legal status in Spain, only to then subject them to labor exploitation.
According to a statement from the National Police as reported by Europa Press, the extensive three-month investigation revealed that the businessmen, along with a third individual tasked with recruiting the workers in Morocco, charged between €15,000 and €22,000 for a work contract enabling legal entry into Spain.
An additional €6,000 to €8,000 was collected from foreign nationals to regularize their immigration status through the company, with a total of 26 individuals obtaining legal residency in this manner.
The seasonal workers’ resulting debt and need to maintain legal status compelled them to endure “abusive” working conditions that violated labor agreements.
Upon concluding the investigation, the two business owners were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking for labor exploitation, facilitating illegal immigration, and membership in a criminal organization.
The Police’s Foreign Citizen Investigation Unit is continuing the investigation and has not ruled out further arrests.
This case bears similarities to the “Bomvoyage” operation carried out by the Civil Guard last July in the Murcia and Albacete regions, which uncovered a criminal organization defrauding and exploiting hundreds of Moroccan and Senegalese temporary workers.
The workers paid €4,000-€6,000 in their home countries for grueling jobs in Spain that ultimately paid only €200 per month after illegal deductions.
They were then charged an additional €4,000-€12,000 to remain in Spain illegally after their contracts ended.
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