Presented on 27 October 2022 the Migration Statistical Dossier 2022 

“The number of investigations initiated for labour exploitation cases over the past two years has grown exponentially: in 2019, there were 214 investigations, whereas today there are 458. The productive sector most affected by the phenomenon is confirmed the agricultural sector, followed by leafleting, petrol pumps and car washes, logistics and transport, textile manufacturing, leather processing, shipbuilding. Construction, tourism and personal care sectors continue to receive less attention and this figure is worrying when compared with sociological research and analyses by trade unions and the Third Sector, which instead, they show many situations of exploitation in these productive areas. 

The geographical distribution of the overall investigations detected is fairly homogeneous: 138 concern the Northern Public Prosecutor’s Office, 138 the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Central Italy and 182 the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the South. 

In relation to the victims, the tendency to employ foreign citizens in conditions of exploitation is confirmed: out of 391 investigation in which nationality has been established, 319 concern foreign workers (mainly extra-EU), of which 15 are minors. 

Among non-EU workers, there is a greater employment of foreigners legally staying: an indication that employers prefer to regularize the employment relationship by concluding contracts that do not reflect the real conditions of employment but that allow them to save on production costs and protect themselves from the former art. 22 TUI.” 

For more information: https://www.integrazionemigranti.gov.it/AnteprimaPDF.aspx?id=3622