Belgian hotelier arrested for human trafficking in Portugal

On Wednesday, 9 April, the police raided hotel ‘O Minho’ in Terras de Bouro, Braga Province, in the north of Portugal. The Belgian hotelier was arrested and charged with human trafficking.

“Ten Brazilians, including two children aged 6 and 12, were exploited for two years”, reports the police and writes Correio de Manha. The situation came to light when victims managed to escape from the premises where the Belgian, along with his wife, hosted tourists.

According to the Portuguese police, a family of ten Brazilians, including two children aged 6 and 12, had been completely under the control of the Belgian suspects for at least two years. They were allegedly lured to Europe by the Belgian couple under false pretences. The victims had to work long hours but received inadequate compensation and lived in poor conditions. They did not possess a residence permit or work visa, and even the children were made to work, taking care of the horses and cows. Moreover, the Brazilians were said to have worked on other properties owned by the Belgians beforehand.

The 55-year-old Belgian man was thus arrested, and his partner, who also holds Belgian nationality, is accused of human trafficking as well. However, she has not yet been arrested as she was not present at the luxury rural tourism accommodation during the police raid. The hotel is located near the Peneda-Gerês National Park.

The Belgian couple is charged in Portugal with human trafficking, labour exploitation, aiding illegal immigration, and recruiting and employing illegal workers.

(FVDV - Source: Correio de Manha - Illustration Image: ©Unsplash)