Workers on a farm in Linne, Limburg were found to be working in “dehumanising” conditions. This was determined upon inspection by the municipality and Dutch police.
More than 50 Romanian workers were being employed as asparagus pickers in the municipality of Maasgouw in the Limburg region. Upon inspection, Mayor Strous described their living situation as “degrading.”
According to the NOS, the mayor said that the space they were living in was far too small for the number of people. It was reported that there were no fire detectors, fire escape routes, and the windows were barricaded. At the same time, the room contained gas bottles and burners.
Arbeidsmigranten onder ‘mensonterende omstandigheden’ aangetroffen op Limburgse boerderij, waar zij nu zijn is onbekend: https://t.co/2qLYmdjEE1 pic.twitter.com/gkL58X3xSJ
— Joop (@Joop_nl) June 1, 2021
Tweet translation: “Migrant workers found under ‘degrading conditions’ on a Limburg farm, where they are now is unknown.”
Abusive working conditions
Those working on the farm were subjected to abuses of power. According to the mayor, their foreman intimidated both workers and government officials. With the help of interpreter, some of the migrants indicated that they were beaten while working on the farm.
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The owner of the farm was instructed by the municipality to house the migrants elsewhere within 48 hours of the inspection. For now, the owner has received a conditional penalty and was told he will have to pay a fine if conditions don’t improve.
Is the municipality responsible?
According to a spokesperson for the municipality, no. “It sounds harsh, but that is a matter for the Aliens Police and the Social Affairs and Employment Inspectorate,” the spokesperson told the NOS.
The Social Affairs and Employment Inspectorate are still investigating the working hours and payment conditions of these workers. Theoretically, these migrants can now work elsewhere in the Netherlands, but their current whereabouts remains unclear.
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Feature Image: zenpix/Deposit Photos
This is just so wrong and so sad. Thank you for bringing this into our attention. I hope those in charge of this can do something about it and make use of their power and influence. If we fail to deprive humans of basic human dignity, inspite of all the developments and feats achieved as a nation, we have lost our humanity.