Between the Judiciary Police and the Aliens and Borders Service there are 43 investigations concerning aid to illegal immigration for the purpose of labor exploitation.
According to data disclosed by the Attorney General's Office (PGR), at the Odemira Public Prosecutor's Office 11 investigations concerning aid to illegal immigration for the purpose of labor exploitation. They are under investigation.
For its part, the Aliens and Borders Service (SEF) reported that there is currently ongoing 32 surveys in several counties in the Alentejo, six of which in Odemira, for crimes of trafficking in persons, aid for illegal immigration and recruitment of illegal labor.
It is not just the case that the Mayor of Odemira denounced the existence of networks of human trafficking and labor slavery in that municipality, which is being investigated by the Judiciary Police (PJ). José Alberto Guerreiro revealed that he complained about these cases to the PJ “about two years ago”, justifying that he was one of the people heard in the scope of these investigations.
Already today, the mayor defended that a Parliamentary Commission should be set up in the Assembly of the Republic to “study and create laws to solve this problem at once”, justifying that under cover of agricultural activity “there are hidden businesses where there are transactions of real estate and vehicles, valued in many millions ”, said.
José Alberto Guerreiro revealed that people his friends “have already warned me that I may be in danger of life”, finished.
Also the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), in several operations carried out in the territory of Baixo Alentejo, namely in the municipalities of Ferreira do Alentejo, Aljustrel and Beja, identified several victims of trafficking in human beings of foreign origin, having some of them reached court and ending up in convictions.
Last day 10 April, Alberto Matos, national director and delegate in Beja of the Solim-Solidariedade Imigrante Association, the number of immigrants in the district could reach 20 thousand, since “many arrive in Portugal, brought in by temporary labor contractors, with tourist visas and then stay illegally in the region ”. The face of Solim in the region is categorical “without illegal immigrants, there are no profitable crops ”, He told JN, adding that there are “authentic slaves” to hand over labor.
The increase in the number of foreigners in Baixo Alentejo is directly linked to the municipality of Odemira, where in 2020 there was more 1.500 workers than in the previous year. The harvesting of red fruits in greenhouses located on the coast of the municipality of Odemira, olive and almond groves in the municipalities of Beja and Ferreira do Alentejo, absorb the vast majority of the district's labor force, almost twelve thousand workers.
Alberto Matos assures that “the scenario is identical overall. Hired by temporary work companies, low wages, transport conditions, degrading housing and food, far from ideal for human beings ”, concluded.
Last conviction in December 2020
In December 2020 six individuals, with ages understood among the 27 and 49 year old, Romanian and Moldovan nationals were sentenced to prison terms, although some were suspended in its execution, for a crime of aid to illegal immigration, in material co-authorship. Florin Adamescu appointed as leader of the group of eight defendants was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, in legal height. Rafira Rusu, Constantin Rotaru, Catalin Rusu, Stepanhita Pahomi and Sergiu Gutu were sentenced to prison terms 1 year and 6 months and 3 years and 6 months, suspended in its execution, having two women, Angela Basarab and Mihaela Rosu, been acquitted.
The suspension of the sentences of three of the defendants is conditional on the joint payment of the amount of 8.994,50 euros, on taxes on tobacco illegally placed on the market and sold to victims.
The Judge Panel that judged the case, determined the dismissal of the request for declaration of confiscation of assets submitted by the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) in the prosecution and returned the defendants 7.463.868,40 euros.
April 2018: 13 convicted defendants
Within the scope of the “Corda Bamba” operation carried out by inspectors from the Counter-Terrorism Unit (UNCT) of the Judiciary Police, in November 2015, in various parts of the territory, namely in Óbidos, Ericeira, on the Alentejo coast, particularly in Santiago do Cacém, Vila Nova de Milfontes, Odemira and Sao Teotonio, and still in Serpa and Gorda.
The operation led to the arrest of and prosecution of 26 people of criminal association and crimes 35 trafficking in persons, 16 Romanian, 5 Bulgarians, 4 português, among them a citizen of Beja, one with Fat Head and two with Serpa, and 1 Ukrainian, of which 16 They were in custody. Subsequently, the Monsanto Court Judge Collective imposed effective prison terms on 13 of 26 Defendants, between 6 and 16 years in prison.
Trial for aid to illegal immigration
The next day 11 de Maio starts at the Beja Court, before a Collective of Judges, the trial of five individuals, three Moldovans and two Romanians, aged between 25 and 43 year old, accused of the practice, co-authored materials, of 78 aid of crimes against illegal immigration.
The five individuals are responsible for the grooming, exploitation and mistreatment of more than a hundred individuals residing in Moldova and Romania and brought to work in the fields of Alentejo.
The case was investigated following a complaint lodged at the GNR Territorial Post of Bartolomeu de Messines, by two offenders of Romanian nationality, after they fled a farm in Ferreira do Alentejo, for reasons of labor exploitation.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
