Harvest: Prison sentence for human trafficking in Champagne, "a sword of Damocles for those who exploit human misery"

It is a judgment that both champagne advocates and seasonal workers hope will be a landmark: one month after a day of hearings devoted to the conditions of exploitation of around fifty often undocumented workers during the 2023 harvest, three people were sentenced to prison for human trafficking on Monday, July 21, by the Châlons-en-Champagne criminal court.

Alerted by local residents, the labor inspectorate carried out an inspection of the accommodation provided to grape harvesters by the wine service company Anavim in Nesle-le-Repons (Marne), southwest of Reims, in September 2023. It noted living and accommodation conditions that "seriously undermined" the safety, health and dignity of the occupants, according to the summary from the Châlons-en-Champagne public prosecutor's office.

At the hearing on June 19, these migrant workers, many of whom were from West Africa, described the abandoned house, with makeshift beds, no water or electricity, and six toilets for nearly sixty people. Noting the "repugnant state" of the whole building and the dangerous electrical installations, the prefecture closed the building. Working conditions were similar, from dawn to dusk, under threat, with frugal or spoiled meals.

You have 68.42% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.