A cultural mediator working with reception facilities in Italy's Piacenza province has been accused of exploiting migrants that he had come into contact with through his work. The local police discovered the case through coordination with the state prosecutor's office.

The Bangladeshi national has been ordered to leave the area of northern Italy immediately and has been prohibited from residing there.

The Bangladeshi man allegedly recruited asylum seekers in the facilities in which he worked, in part by making use of the role he played in relations with government bodies, to then send them to work in Italian fields in exploitative conditions.

Insufficient wages, unhygienic living conditions

"The migrants were taken advantage of by making use of the state of need they were in. They were paid amounts that were clearly not in line with those provided for by collective labor contracts and disproportionate to the quality and quantity of the work provided. The exploited workers were also paid late or not at all," the police said.

Also under investigation are two Egyptian nationals and another Bangladeshi man who were allegedly accomplices.

The police also found that, "in one of the centers involved, the hygienic conditions of the facility were extremely poor. The lodgings were dirty and clearly unsuitable to host the number of people present, including in light of the restrictions in force during the public healthcare emergency. Waste was heaped in rubbish bags that remained piled up for days, attracting rodents."

The Piacenza prefect's office, through checks with the relevant bodies, immediately interrupted the contractual relations with the companies in charge of the reception centers.