US EditionFrench Champagne Makers Accused of Human Trafficking
- A human trafficking trial opened on June 19, 2025, in Reims against three individuals accused of exploiting seasonal grape harvesters in the Champagne region.
- The case stems from September 2023 when over 50 mostly undocumented West African workers were found living in cramped, unsafe housing near Reims while harvesting grapes promised as well-paid work via WhatsApp recruitment.
- Workers endured 11-hour workdays from 7 am to 6 pm, received no wages despite promises of 80 euros daily, faced threats when asking for breaks, and lived in unsanitary conditions lacking clean water and adequate shelter.
- Prosecutor Annick Browne described the accommodation as failing basic safety and electrical standards, and lawyers highlighted the accused showed "total contempt" for human dignity amid concerns over multiple deaths by suspected heatstroke during harvests.
- If convicted, the defendants face up to seven years in prison and fines; the trial has increased calls for regulating labor practices to protect vulnerable workers in the economically significant Champagne industry.
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39 Articles
Suspected of having exploited and indignantly housed 57 undocumented workers in 2023, four persons appeared on Thursday at the Châlons-en-Champagne Correctional Court, which will issue its decision in a month's time.
Daily Journal
French champagne makers face prison in human trafficking trial
French prosecutors have requested two years behind bars for an employer in the champagne sector accused of human trafficking, exploiting seasonal workers and housing them in appalling conditions during the 2023 grape harvest.
French trial exposes human trafficking among champagne workers
Conditions for grape-pickers in France’s champagne business lie at the heart of a human trafficking trial that has opened in the eastern city of Reims.Three people – a woman from Kyrgyzstan, a man from Georgia and a Frenchman – are accused of exploiting more than 50 seasonal workers, mainly from west Africa.
Four people compared on Thursday to Châlons-en-Champagne (Marne) for trafficking in human beings, and in 2023 they had exploited some 50 undocumented people.
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