Italy faces rising problem of 'modern slavery,' experts say demands systemic approach

By Giada Zampano

ROME (AA) — Shocking revelations in Italy recently brought attention to the growing problem of modern slavery in the country, particularly in relation to migrant agricultural workers. The evidence highlighted exploitation, illegal practices, and inhumane working conditions.

In July, the arrest of two gang ringleaders in the province of Verona, Italy, exposed the challenges faced by migrant workers in the country. This incident has sparked calls for action to address the systemic problem.

Modern slavery is a global issue that manifests in various forms and has many names, including human trafficking, forced labor, forced or servile marriage, sexual exploitation, slavery-like practices, and the sale and exploitation of children.

According to the 2023 Global Slavery Index produced by Walk Free Foundation, in collaboration with the UN’s International Labor Organization and International Organization for Migration, approximately 10 million more individuals, including men, women, and children, have been exploited as victims of "new slavery" since 2016.

This worsening situation has occurred amidst escalating and complex armed conflicts, widespread environmental crises, threats to democracy in many countries, setbacks in women's rights worldwide, and the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

- ‘Caporalato’ and exploited labor in Italy

In June, the death of a 31-year-old Indian farm laborer near Rome made headlines after a tragic accident in which a wrapping machine severed his arm and crushed his legs.

Satnam Singh, who was employed off the books, was allegedly left by his employer on the side of the road, where he bled to death.

Singh’s demise brought to light the inhumane conditions in which exploited migrant workers in Italy found themselves.

During a protest rally in the central town of Latina following his death, the CGIL trade union denounced the exploitation of these workers by gangs, which had claimed 3,208 lives, including 2,123 in agriculture and 897 in the tertiary sector, in 2023. This, the group said, was "only the tip of the iceberg."

According to another Italian trade union, the FLAI-CGIL, approximately 420,000 people, mostly migrants, are employed and exploited illegally in intensive agriculture throughout the country.

For these workers, this means earning less than the mandatory minimum wage. Some receive a meager €3.50 ($3.79) for a box of 300 kg (about 660 pounds) of tomatoes. In addition, employers withhold a portion of their pay under the guise of "additional fees," which cover transportation to the fields or meals during working hours.

In terms of working conditions, the majority suffer mistreatment from their employers, including physical or psychological violence, inhumane living conditions, and a lack of respect for their fundamental rights.

Italy has a long history of illegal recruitment and labor exploitation, known as "caporalato," which taints the extensive supply chain responsible for bringing Italian agri-food products to global dining tables and market shelves.

Farmers outsource the recruitment, transportation, and supervision of workers in the field to "caporali," or gang masters.

These illegal intermediaries have developed new methods and adapted their exploitative systems across Italy, from the Alps to Sicily, to exploit the vulnerabilities of the environments in which they operate, according to experts.

- Holistic approach needed

To address these issues, in recent years both the Italian parliament and government have taken progressive steps towards effective criminalization by expanding the list of individuals held accountable and introducing aggravating factors.

"In 2011, Italy introduced the new offense of labor exploitation, filling a gap that existed in the past, as our criminal law only punished the most serious cases of slavery," Luca Masera, professor of criminal law at Brescia University, told Anadolu.

"I believe we now have the legal tools to act, so the problem shouldn't be addressed by introducing new crimes or increasing penalties. We need to change an economic system that is based on the exploitation of vulnerable workers," he added.

In its latest report published in February, the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has urged Italian authorities to take further action against human trafficking, particularly by strengthening measures to combat trafficking for labor exploitation and ensuring compensation for the victims.

GRETA also emphasized that the restrictive immigration measures implemented by the Italian government "create a climate of criminalization of migrants," causing many potential trafficking victims to refrain from reporting their cases due to fear of detention and deportation.

Italy's far-right government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has pledged to crack down on illegal migration to the country, implementing stricter sanctions for human traffickers in an attempt to control the increasing migration flows from North Africa.

Although efforts have been made on the legislative side, analysts note that the issue of labor exploitation continues to be under-prosecuted.

"Probably for too long, the criminal justice approach has suffered, and still suffers, from a sort of cops and robbers game-oriented system where the need to find a typical organized crime component in exploitative labor schemes tends to overshadow investigations into the exploitation that lies at their core," said Ruggero Scaturro, an analyst at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.

According to Scaturro, prosecutors should focus less on enforcing criminal law and punishing perpetrators, and instead prioritize support for the victims.

"Punishing criminals would then become one aspect of a more holistic approach that equally values criminalization and workers' protection."