Italian Police Free 33 Workers, Delhi Police Arrests Immigration Agents

Italian police freed 33 Indian farm workers from conditions of modern slavery in Verona, near Rome. They also arrested two immigration agents acting as gang-masters following Satnam Singh's death due to negligence (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 27, Story 8). The identity of the workers and agents is concealed for legal reasons. However, given Panjabi migration to Italy for agricultural and dairy labor, it is likely many are from Panjab. The police also seized $545,300 from the two gang-masters. The gang-masters, also from India, brought fellow nationals to Italy on seasonal work permits, asking them to pay €17K each and promising them a better future. The victims were found living in cramped, unsanitary conditions and were forced to work under various threats, the biggest being an expulsion from Italy due to their illegal status. In the last six months, Delhi police have arrested 108 immigration agents. The number of arrests in six months is double the 51 made in 2023. These agents exploited visa-on-arrival schemes, created fake documents, and facilitated illegal crossings into the US and Europe. Arrests spanned multiple states, including Panjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. This crackdown revealed deep-rooted networks abusing immigration systems. Delhi Police have even returned to earlier cases where only passengers were arrested to nail the immigration agents involved. The rates the agents charge range from $18K for Portugal to $72K for the US. The Indira Gandhi International Airport Police probe revealed how methods like affixing fake departure stamps, fake visas, and forged passports and work permits are created for illegal immigration.