Foreign workers recruited to build a new $350 million US consulate in Milan say they were promised fair wages but ended up earning less than €2 an hour. As Italian prosecutors investigate alleged labour exploitation, workers describe threats, homelessness and shattered hopes.
A flagship project under scrutiny
A major construction project for a new United States consulate in Milan has become the focus of a widening labour exploitation investigation after migrant workers alleged they were underpaid and mistreated despite promises of fair wages.
Italian prosecutors are investigating Alabama-based Caddell Construction, a leading contractor for US diplomatic facilities worldwide. Two company managers in Italy were recently arrested on suspicion of labour exploitation as part of an inquiry involving around 70 foreign workers, most of them from India.
The $350 million consulate project is one of the largest diplomatic construction sites currently underway in Europe.
