The German federal police has begun an investigation throughout five federal states on suspicion of smuggled undocumented foreigners working in the meat processing industry via unauthorized employment. Moreover, the ongoing pandemic has brought attention to poor working conditions within the meat sector.

The federal police inspectorate for combating crime in Halle states that 800 police officers have searched more than 60 residential and business premises simultaneously in Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin and Saxony. 

“We believe that the conditions currently under discussion in the industry point to structural problems in the meat industry,” Dr. Reinhard von Stoutz, manager of the German Butchers’ Association (Deutscher Fleischer-Verband), tells FoodIngredientsFirst, commenting on the news.

He notes that the responsibility to prevent this sort of activity “rests equally” with meat processing companies, government and consumers.

According to the investigators, at least 82 people from Eastern Europe have been smuggled into Germany through various temporary employment agencies in the last six months.

The police have found 49 work accommodations in Weißenfels and three in Bernburg. Their investigations have further searched three residential and commercial properties each in Garbsen and Papenburg, as well as one each in Twist, Bonn, Bassum, Chemnitz and Berlin.

Exploited labor in the meat sector 
Over 20 people have been found who are suspected of being illegally employed using forged and falsified documents or as “sham students.” For this purpose, third-country nationals present fake enrollment certificates to be able to work as a student on holiday.

once these police measures have been completed, the federal police inspectorate for combating crime in Halle affirms that the suspects will be handed over to the responsible immigration authorities with the aim of ending the illegal residence.

“The use of falsified documents for irregular migration and illegal employment is also flourishing in Central Germany. This goes hand in hand with a high level of damage for the social security funds as well as for companies that comply with the statutory provisions,” says Romy Töwe, police chief of the federal police department for combating crime in Halle.

“On the other hand, the labor of those affected is relentlessly exploited. The federal police and the Saxon-Anhalt judicial authorities are taking decisive action against this. We will continue to deal with this phenomenon for the next few years,” she predicts.

COVID-19 exacerbates poor working conditions
The meat sector has also long depended largely on migrant and cross-border workers – from inside the EU and from third countries – who are often the subject of unequal treatment and abuse.

A report from the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade unios (EFFAT) identified the appalling working, employment and housing conditions affecting thousands of meat workers in many countries across Europe as the reasons why meat processing plants have become vectors for the spread of COVID-19.

Exploitative working conditions, overcrowded accommodation, up to 16 hour-working days, low pay, illegal wage deductions and job insecurity are just some of the injustices facing meat workers in Europe, according to EFFAT. 

Inevitably, COVID-19 has exacerbated many of these issues, leading over the last few weeks to numerous meat processing plants becoming vectors for the spread of the virus.

In June, slaughterhouse Tönnies Group’s facility in the Gütersloh district came under the public eye, wher four out of five workers tested positive for the coronavirus. This prompted the immediate closure of Tönnies’s facility.

Commenting on the current news, Tönnies announced on Twitter that it has not yet been searched in Weißenfels or Rheda. 

“We have no information whether and, if so, to what extent our service providers are affected. However, we promise the authorities full support and provide insight if necessary,” the company stated.