France jails three over champagne slaves scandal
Human Trafficking Convictions in Champagne’s Grape Harvest
Three Adults Sentenced for Exploiting Migrant Workers
In the Champagne region, a court on Monday jailed three individuals for human trafficking, highlighting the appalling conditions imposed on seasonal grape pickers. The decision was deemed a “historic” milestone by legal advocates.
Over 50 undocumented workers—primarily from Mali, Mauritania, Ivory Coast and Senegal—reported being treated “like slaves” while working in dismal housing and under the extreme heat of the 2023 harvest.
Key Sentences
- Anavim Director (Kyrgyz woman, 40s) received two years in prison, with a second two‑year suspended term. She denied responsibility for the substandard accommodation.
- Two men (30s) were convicted of one year each, with suspended sentences, for recruiting the harvesters.
- All three were found guilty of human trafficking under French law: recruiting, transporting, housing or receiving a person for exploitative employment.
- The director also faced charges of concealing workers’ employment.
The court in Chalons‑en‑Champagne dissolved the Anavim service company and fined the affiliated wine‑making cooperative €75,000. Each guilty party was ordered to pay €4,000 to each victim.
Responses from Stakeholders
- Victim Lawyers praised the ruling as fair and suitable for the 2025 harvest, stating that no one would claim ignorance of the workers in their vineyards.
- Comite Champagne, representing growers, urged that seasonal workers should never be treated as disposable labor or tarnish the region’s reputation.
- CGT Union voiced concerns that penalties were insufficient, advocating for a downgrade of the harvested zones where violations occurred.
Additional investigations are underway into the conditions faced by Ukrainian workers during the same harvest, following the death of four pickers in a heat‑related incident. A separate trial set for November will examine whether a service provider and its manager housed 40 Ukrainians in unsafe accommodations.
