This report provides a profound and shocking look at the abuse and labor exploitation suffered by many immigrants in Spain, often in silence and invisibility.
Human trafficking for labour purposes has become one of the most lucrative businesses in the world, second only to drug trafficking. In Catalonia, more and more cases are identified each year, many affecting people who arrived hoping for a better life but end up enslaved in sectors such as domestic work, caregiving, hospitality, or retail.
Through testimonies like that of Sara, a Latin American doctor who was deceived and exploited, or Mia, a Filipino woman locked in a house with no contact with the outside world, the documentary shows how victims are lured through false promises and coercion, and then forced to work in inhumane conditions.
Exploitation in “24-hour” businesses and similar establishments is also common. Bilal, enslaved in a supermarket, explains how he worked 14-hour days for 600 euros per month, sleeping on-site. This type of exploitation is difficult to detect and prosecute, as victims often don’t recognize themselves as such and live under constant threats.
We are all, in a sense, consumers of slavery, as these practices are intricately and insidiously woven into the current economic system. Experts, as well as police and judicial authorities, call for more resources, collaboration, and corporate responsibility to combat this phenomenon.