Greece: Eight Arrested — Forced Farm Workers to Labor Without Pay

Eight people have been arrested in an agricultural area of the southern Peloponnese, suspected of forcing foreign farm workers to work without pay until they settled alleged debts, authorities announced Friday.

According to the police statement, among the suspects is the suspected gang leader, a 37-year-old of foreign nationality, who faces charges of human trafficking and violations of immigration law. The arrests followed a police operation on Wednesday, during which seven foreign nationals held captive were found in a house in a village near the city of Nafplio, in the northeastern Peloponnese.

Investigators found that the gang had taken the men’s passports, found them work on local farms and kept their entire wages, claiming they had to settle the costs of bringing them to Greece, as well as food and housing. The gang members are also suspected of guarding the workers and preventing them from leaving. The nationalities of those involved have not been made public.

The suspected gang leader faces charges of human trafficking and violations of immigration law, while all eight arrested are expected to face Greek justice.

Workers in a greenhouse (Illustrative photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC0). Source: eKathimerini