Indian restaurant owners arrested in human trafficking inquiry

Two owners of an Indian restaurant chain in the Netherlands have been arrested by Europol and the Dutch labour inspectorate as part of an investigation into suspected human trafficking. The probe focused on allegations that a rule enabling Asian restaurants to hire specialized chefs from outside the EU was being abused. The arrested owners allegedly employed Indian staff in non-specialist roles such as cleaning and waiting tables, while violating the terms of their work permits.

The inspectors found that these employees worked between 60 and 80 hours weekly, with some not receiving any pay for the extra hours. Around 70 staff members were hired under false pretenses, contributing to approximately €4 million in unpaid labor, according to Europol. The investigation also uncovered similar abuses in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.

The restaurant owners provided housing for their workers and fined them for leaving their contracts early, which discouraged victims from contacting authorities. Evidence suggests that the suspects threatened the victims' families in their home countries with violence to force them to continue working. The Dutch government introduced a simplified work permit system for Asian chefs in 2019 to address a labor shortage but repealed it three years later due to evidence of widespread abuse.

Inspectors conducted 50 restaurant visits in 2021 and 2022, finding that 60% of the high-risk restaurants and 45% of those selected at random violated the rules at least once.