Moroccan workers exploited in French vineyards, trafficking network dismantled

After months of investigation, authorities intervened on May 27 to dismantle a human trafficking operation exploiting workers in the French departments of Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne. The gendarmes targeted workers' housing in Monségur, a town in the wine-growing region of Entre-deux-Mers, and in Marmandais.

The operation made it possible to find around fifteen Moroccan employees. Three of them lacked identity documents and all faced poor working conditions. They received partial pay and were housed in overcrowded, mold-infested accommodation described as “close to unsanitary” by Ouest-France.

Five members of a Moroccan family are believed to be involved. Three of them appeared before a Bordeaux magistrate on May 29 and were placed in pre-trial detention. Two others are subject to judicial review with restrictions on leaving the country and contact with the victims. Their trial will be held on June 10 before the criminal court.

This intervention follows an investigation opened in October 2023 in Gironde, following complaints filed since September 2022. Dozens of Romanian workers reported “undignified” living conditions, harassment and various deprivations.

The investigation revealed that these workers, including a 14-year-old minor, had been recruited in Romania, transported to Gironde and exploited for meager wages. Seven people were arrested in Saint-Emilion on suspicion of “organized human trafficking” and subjecting Romanian workers to “unacceptable” conditions.