Reims Court Hears Harrowing Testimonies of Exploited Migrant Workers
Shocking details of champagne industry human trafficking and worker exploitation have emerged in a trial that opened this week in Reims, France, the heart of the country’s prestigious champagne region.
Three defendants – a Kyrgyz woman, a Georgian man, and a Frenchman – stand accused of exploiting more than 50 undocumented migrant workers during the 2023 September grape harvest in Nesle-le-Repons, southwest of Reims.
The workers, aged 16 to 65, mostly came from West African countries including Mali, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, and Senegal. They were recruited via WhatsApp messages targeting the Soninke ethnic community living in Paris, promising well-paid work in the vineyards.
‘Even Animals Would Not Accept This’
Testimonies presented in court painted a disturbing picture. Workers described being shouted at in Russian, forced into unsanitary, overcrowded accommodations with no clean water, minimal food, and unsafe living conditions.
“I never thought the people who made champagne would put us up in a place which even animals would not accept,” said Kanouitié Djakariayou, 44. Fellow worker Doumbia Mamadou, 45, added: “We were traumatised by the experience. And we have had no psychological support, because when you have no papers, you have no rights either.”
Following a tip-off by a concerned local resident, labour inspectors found workers crammed into unsafe buildings, sleeping on mattresses on the floor, exposed to dangerous electrics, filthy toilets, and outdoor cooking areas exposed to weather conditions. They worked up to 10 hours a day with only 30-minute lunch breaks, transported to the vineyards squatting in truck beds, with little or no formal pay agreements champagne industry human trafficking.
Defendants Face Serious Charges
The lead defendant, identified as Svetlana G., 44, ran a recruitment agency called Anavim, specializing in seasonal labor for the wine industry. She, along with her two associates, face multiple charges including:
- Human trafficking
- Undeclared labor
- Employing foreigners without permits
- Inadequate pay
- Lodging vulnerable people in unfit conditions
If convicted, the trio could face up to seven years in prison and substantial fines.
Exploitation in the €6 Billion Champagne Industry
This case has shone a spotlight on exploitation within France’s €6bn champagne industry, which relies on roughly 120,000 seasonal workers each autumn. While most laborers are recruited legitimately, growing evidence suggests some champagne houses rely on middlemen who cut corners at the expense of vulnerable migrant workers.
In 2023, six grape pickers died from suspected heatstroke during harvests in Champagne and Beaujolais. This follows two previous criminal cases involving similar labor exploitation practices in recent years.
Unions Demand Accountability
Trade unions have called for stronger legal measures, urging lawmakers to revoke the prestigious “champagne” label from producers found to have used illegal labor, even indirectly. “It should not be possible to harvest the grapes of champagne using human misery,” said Jose Blanco of the CGT union.
The Comité Champagne, representing producers, stated that such mistreatment is rare and immediately halted when discovered. The organization has joined the trial as a civil plaintiff, recognizing the “damage done to the brand.”
Spotlight on Modern Slavery in Europe
This trial raises uncomfortable questions about modern slavery within Europe’s luxury industries, highlighting how desperate migrants can become victims of ruthless profit-driven exploitation, even in the world-renowned champagne sector.
As proceedings continue, both human rights groups and industry observers will be watching closely to see if this landmark case triggers reforms in how seasonal labor is sourced and managed in France’s lucrative wine sector.
Explore more Europe crime stories here.
Related Articles:
- BBC: French trial exposes human trafficking among champagne workers
- Morning News Informer: Human Rights Violations in France
- Council of Europe: Anti-Human Trafficking Initiatives
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