Eight Moroccans paid up to €15,000 to work in France: court refers entire case back for investigation

Two French-Moroccan brothers, currently detained in Tarbes and Pau, appeared in court alongside two women from their circle, who were left at liberty. The two men are being prosecuted for nine offenses, including human trafficking, money laundering, fraud and employing foreign nationals without residence permits. They face up to ten years in prison and a one-million-euro fine, reports La Dépêche du Midi.

The alleged scheme was based on the promise of an employment contract and residence documents. In return, the Moroccan workers allegedly paid up to 15,000 euros each. Some allegedly received neither a contract nor a residence permit. Others allegedly worked without being paid.

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Several alleged victims were also reportedly housed in undignified conditions, notably in a house located in Ibos, in the Hautes-Pyrénées. The case came to light after several workers alerted the local CFDT.

Complaints in other departments

The Tarbes court ultimately did not examine the merits of the case. The judges considered that the matter required “additional and thorough investigations” and referred it back to the public prosecutor.

A letter from Me Moura, the victims’ lawyer, mentions other complaints filed in several departments. These new cases could be joined to the proceedings, giving the case a national dimension.

The magistrates also want to obtain more information about the company Occitane, presented as being at the heart of the alleged scheme. Placed into judicial liquidation in April 2026, it had nevertheless declared a turnover of one million euros in 2024. The defense also pointed to significant shortcomings in the investigation.

The prosecutor requested that the two brothers remain in pretrial detention in order to prevent them from evading justice. A judicial investigation, entrusted to an investigating judge, could now be opened.

On Bladi.net : France: Moroccan Workers Paid 10,000 Euros to Work

This case recalls the conditions imposed on twenty Moroccan workers in Lot-et-Garonne, who were also recruited with the promise of a job in France.