Cases of labour exploitation discovered in Fucino: undocumented workers subjected to 12-hour shifts in the countryside

In the Fucino Plain, inspections were conducted by the Labour Inspectorate, supported by mediators from the IOM, in order to combat the phenomenon of labour exploitation and forced labour. The inspections targeted agricultural companies and commercial activities in the area. During the checks, the conditions of several non-EU workers were examined, revealing that some of them were employed without a contract and did not possess a valid residence permit.

It emerged that some workers were not provided with personal protective equipment, had not received specific training, and had not undergone mandatory medical checkups. The employers responsible for these violations will be referred to the judicial authorities for the offences specified under Article 22 of the Consolidated Immigration Act and Article 603 bits of the Penal Code. Additionally, measures will be taken to address the workplace safety violations. Administrative procedures will also be initiated to assess the situations of irregular immigrants within the national territory, in order to apply the existing protection and safeguarding regulations.

During the inspections, the wages of the workers and their daily working hours were also verified. It emerged that, in some cases, the working hours extended to up to 10 or 12 hours per day without adequate compensation.