The Public Prosecutor's Office accused two men and a company based in Spain of aiding illegal immigration in Portugal. The criminal activity was organized to bring in and exploit workers from various countries, namely from Algeria and Morocco.
The two defendants, one of Spanish nationality and the other of Algerian nationality, acted in partnership with the Spanish company to recruit migrant workers and then employ them in Portuguese territory, frequently under exploitative conditions.
The operation aimed to circumvent Portuguese immigration laws, bringing workers to the country without the proper legal documents and then subjecting them to precarious working conditions. The scheme involved the promise of employment and possibly the withholding of part of the workers' wages.
The authorities consider that the Spanish company served as a legal front to facilitate the entry of immigrants, while the two men coordinated the logistics in Portugal. The Public Prosecutor's Office requested that the defendants be found guilty of the crimes of aiding illegal immigration.
