Human Trafficking and Grape Pickers
A ruling handed down on Monday, July 21, 2025, by the Court of Chรขlons-en-Champagne has since been making headlines in French newspapers and blogs. The ruling deserves our attention for several reasons.
In short, during the grape harvest in the Champagne region in September 2023, in Nesle-le-Repons, located southwest of Reims, the Labor Inspectorate found that ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐, majority, from Africa to Europe (Malรญ, Senegal, Mauritania) and the flight to France๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ณ๐๐ญฬฆ๐ข ๐ขฬ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญฬฆ๐ข๐ข ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ (mattresses placed directly on the floor, makeshift showers with very little hot water, faulty electrical wiring). The inspection had been prompted by neighbors of the location where the workers were housed.
The victims stated that they worked at a grueling pace, under threat, often up to 10 hours a day, with only a short break in the middle of the day, without protective gear, with far too little water (despite the heat wave), and with insufficient and sometimes unfit food, being transported daily crammed into windowless vehicles.
Most of the workers did not receive any pay for their work, and a few received amounts that were paltry compared to the hours they worked. They stated that they had been promised a daily wage of 80 euros (a wage that was, in any case, below the legal minimum wage at the time).
ANAVIM (the service provider) and its director have been charged with ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ข ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญฬฆ๐ข๐ฎ๐ง๐ข (failure to comply with the requirements of the๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข):
โ human trafficking
โ substandard living conditions
โ undeclared work
โ hiring employees without work permits
โ non-existent or insufficient compensation
Two other individuals who helped recruit workers have been charged with human trafficking.
In addition, a wine cooperative in the Marne department was prosecuted for employing, as a legal entity, individuals who were working without proper documentation.
At the first hearing on March 26, 2025 (a year and a half after the facts were discovered), the case was adjourned until June 19, 2025, as the-a ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐ญ ๐ขฬ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐-23 in-house โ๐ ๐๐ฬ๐ซ๐๐ข ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌฬฆ๐ญ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฬ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฬ,โ the Prosecutorโs Office states in its press release.
As I mentioned, the courtโs decision was handed down on July 21, 2025.
๐๐จ๐ญฬฆ๐ข ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ญฬฆ๐ข๐ข ๐๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ญฬฆ๐ข, as follows (๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐กฬฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐, the problem is that๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐):
The company's director received:
โข ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ฬ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข ๐๐ ๐ขฬ๐ง๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ซ๐, of which 2 years are suspended, with the arrest warrant postponed (until August 4, 2025) and provisional enforcement (i.e., prior to the appeal);
โข a fine of 20,000 euros;
โข a permanent ban on managing any business entity;
โข a five-year ban on owning or carrying weapons;
โข confiscation of the property where the events took place (๐ฬ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฬ๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐ฬ๐กฬฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐).
A fine was imposed on ANAVIM, as well as the publication of the conviction.
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The other two individuals received prison sentences of 2 or 3 years, part of which were suspended, with no possibility of deferral or adjustment (conversion to alternative measures), fines of 3,000โ5,000 euros, a ban on residing in the Marne department for 5 years, and a ban on possessing or carrying weapons for 5 years.
The cooperative was fined 75,000 euros (the prosecutor had sought a fine of 200,000 euros) and was ordered to publish the decision (provisional enforcement).
Each victim will receive 4,000 euros from the defendants. The victimsโ lawyer said: โ๐ธ๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฬ, which has led to the loss of๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐, combined with the car's engine ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ ฬฆ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐. ๐ธ๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ฬ ๐ฬ๐ the framework of the๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฬ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐.โ
Also, for the first time in a trial related to the issue of grape pickers, the Champagne Committeeโwhich represents 16,200 winegrowers, 130 cooperatives, and 370 wineriesโserved as a civil party. Other civil parties included the League of Human Rights, the Marne Departmental Union of the CGT, the National Agri-Food and Forestry Federation of the CGT, the Inter-Union CGT of Champagne Employees in Reims and its defined region, the MSA รle-de-France, as well as the Committee Against Modern Slavery and the General Confederation of Labor.
The CGT in Champagne was dissatisfied, ๐ขฬ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ฬ๐ญ ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ข (since I don't have a full ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฌฬฆ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ข).
Watch this: Four people who were harvesting grapes in the region died during the 2023 harvest, a year marked by an exceptionally hot September. A contracting company and its manager will stand trial on November 26, also in Chรขlons-en-Champagne, on suspicion of housing approximately 40 Ukrainians in degrading conditions during that same harvest.
I would like to thank Professor Franรงois-Guy Trรฉbulle for bringing this decision to my attention and for his very insightful commentary:
โIn this exhibition, we๐๐ฬ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฬ๐ ๐๐ ฬฆ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฬ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฬ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐กฬฆ๐ ๐๐ข ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ, ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฬ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฬ๐๐๐๐in the graph: in the fact of a single ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐, which is included in the ๐๐ฬ๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, in fact,๐๐๐ ๐ฬ๐๐๐ฬ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฬ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐กฬฆ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฬ๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐กฬฆ๐, I donโt know if Iโll have that๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐ฬ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐ผฬ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฬ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ ๐ฬ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฬ๐กฬฆ๐๐โ, ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฬ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ข ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ฬฆ๐ ๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐กฬฆ๐ ๐ฬ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กฬฆ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฬ๐ ๐ ฬฆ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐๐ง๐ฬ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐-๐ ๐๐๐ข๐, pre-calculate the total cost๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐ฬ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฬ๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐ท๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ฬฆ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฬ, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข ๐ฬ๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, Iโm looking for a social๐กฬฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฬ ๐ฬ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐กฬฆ๐๐ ๐ฬ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐กฬฆ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฬ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ฬ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฬ๐กฬฆ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฬ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฬ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐กฬฆ๐ฬ ๐๐ ๐ก๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฬ.โ
***
Thank you to Professor Franรงois-Guy Trรฉbulle for bringing this ruling to our attention and for his excellent commentary:
โ๐ผ๐ ๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ ๐๐ฬ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ : ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฬ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฬง๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฬ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐ฬ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐ก ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฬ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฬ, ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐, he has the necessary skills๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐โ๐ฬ๐๐๐๐ฬ๐๐๐ .
๐ด๐ฃ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ โsimplificationโ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ฬ๐ก๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฬโ, ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐ฬ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ฬ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฬ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฬ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐-๐๐ฬ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฬ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฬ๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฬ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐ฬ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฬ๐๐๐๐๐๐ .
๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก, ๐๐ข-๐๐๐๐ฬ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ ๐โ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฬ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฬ๐ก๐ฬ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐ฬ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฬ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฬ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฬ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ฬ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก ๐ฬ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐ฬ๐ ๐ โ