Indian farm workers’ mistreatment case under investigation

Details emerged on Tuesday of the shocking working conditions under which 14 Indian workers were employed at a Famagusta livestock farm.

The workers, all legally documented, were allegedly forced to work seven days a week without rest and unpaid, while their employer prevented their escape by withholding their passports.

A police anti-trafficking unit raided the livestock facility last Saturday after receiving a tip-off from an Albanian worker. The Famagusta immigration office, British bases police and inspectors from the ministry of labour participated in the operation.

Police reported the workers were found in a bad state, suffering from signs of mistreatment. They were removed from the premises and taken to a safe location to receive psychological support and protection.

Anti-trafficking police are taking statements from the victims whereafter further handling of the case will be decided.

Labour exploitation and poor working conditions of third country nationals have been spotlighted lately, with another case publicised last month by daily Philenews, of two Egyptian farm workers in a Nicosia village, who were working 12-hour days without proper pay, bathing with icy cold water from a borehole, and having to fetch drinking water from the community leader’s house.

Police are well-aware of cases involving mistreatment of third country workers, spokesperson Christos Andreou told Phile, reporting that between July 2021 and December 2022, nine convictions with prison sentences ranging from three to 10 years were meted out, of which four for sexual exploitation, four for labour exploitation, and one for forced begging.

Anti-trafficking police identified a total of 58 victims in the period of 2020-2022 and worker exploitation carries a maximum sentence of lifetime imprisonment, Andreou noted.

Cases of exploitation or trafficking can be reported anonymously via the human trafficking victims’ hotline at 1497.