Spanish Entrepreneur Arrested for Exploiting Underage Moroccan Worker in Melilla

The Moroccan minor, in a situation of extreme vulnerability, lost a finger while working irregularly for the entrepreneur, says the spokesman for the Melilla police prefecture, specifying that the victim received "a salary of 10 euros per week, for 10 hours per day, from Monday to Saturday and some Sundays."

After two months of work, without any protective equipment, the young man was the victim of a work accident that resulted in the loss of one of his fingers. He spent more than six months in this situation before deciding to look for another job. That’s when he was contacted by a carrier, a loyal customer of his former boss, with whom he concluded an employment contract, with "the same salary and working hours" as his previous job. Thus, the minor, who lacked means of subsistence, agreed to load and unload the goods, added the police spokesman.

To read: Melilla Business Owner Arrested for Exploiting Stranded Moroccan Workers

The minor’s new boss was arrested by the police after the latter filed a complaint against him. "Fearing any legal consequences, he put pressure on the minor to report to the health workers and the police that he lost his finger while trying to board a truck to go by boat to Spain. He promised to pay the victim a large sum of money if he agreed, which he never did," the same source said, noting that a few days later, the accused "intercepted the victim on the street, demanding under threat that he withdraw his complaint against him."

The Court of First Instance of Melilla has taken over the investigation, based on the police report produced by the Ucrif, the unit against illegal immigration and false papers in the autonomous city.