Restaurant owners made millions from visa scam luring Indians to work 80 hours a week in Europe
Indian restaurant workers have been lured to Europe in a visa scam and then forced to toil for long hours, seven days a week, with threats of violence, police have said. Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency, said victims were made to work 16 hours a day and the restaurants involved made €4 million (US 4.5 million) in profits from underpaying them. At least 70 workers, mainly Indian nationals,…
Indian restaurant workers have been lured to Europe through a visa scam and forced to work long hours, seven days a week, under exploitative conditions, police have reported. Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, revealed that victims were subjected to 16-hour workdays, and the restaurants involved earned €4 million (US $4.5 million) from underpaying them.
At least 70 workers, primarily of Indian origin, entered Europe using migrant visas intended for chefs but were instead employed as dishwashers, cleaners, waitstaff, and managers, according to Europol. Two owners of eight Indian restaurants in the Netherlands were apprehended on Friday as part of a people trafficking investigation.
These restaurants are part of three larger international chains, and investigators suspect similar criminal activities may have taken place in other restaurants associated with these chains in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and Switzerland. The workers were recruited, housed, and trapped by the suspects, with threats of violence and financial penalties if they attempted to leave early.
Family members in India were also pressured to keep the workers employed. Europol stated that the suspects used psychological coercion to force the victims to work harder and prevent them from reporting the situation to authorities. In addition to the eight restaurants in the Netherlands, Europol visited seven restaurants in Germany, two in Luxembourg and Switzerland, and one in Belgium.
The Netherlands Labour Authority arrested the two restaurant owners after conducting inspections, accusing them of "human smuggling and employing illegal aliens." The Labour Authority explained that by not adhering to the terms of their chef visas, the workers were residing and working illegally in the Netherlands. The restaurants utilized a scheme designed to permit Dutch entrepreneurs to recruit specialized chefs from outside the European Economic Area, but this scheme was discontinued in 2022. A transitional arrangement allowed visas to be issued until July 2024.
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