Thousands of British traveling to Ibiza, Menorca or Mallorca this summer to work in the hotel industry (mainly in bars and nightclubs) have received advice on the labor exploitation they may suffer in the Balearic Islands.
This is an initiative of the British Government calledoperation Karetu which has been carried out at 22 UK airports to prevent young people from being exposed to the “risk of exploitation, criminality and illegal work“.
Border agents at airports have informed about these dangers to about 1,000 young Britons so far. As explained from the British Government’s own website, it has been emphasized that they should avoid the jobs they can find in Ibiza as unofficial tiqueteros (to attract customers to bars).
“Young people who travel abroad each year to work in the hospitality industry are at risk of being forced to work long hours for low pay. Risks include working illegally due to ignorance of EU labor standards or being exploited by organized criminal gangs,” the official statement reads.
In addition, they urge these Britons to find out, before moving to Ibiza, the price of accommodation and the exact salary they will receive in order to know if they will be able to live in good conditions on the island.
Labor exploitation in Ibiza
Operation Karetu has been running since 2018 and this summer it was aimed exclusively at alerting about labor exploitation in Ibiza, Menorca and Mallorca.
The operation, which kicked off on June 17 and will run until July 19, is being run in partnership with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, anti-modern slavery charity Unseen and British embassies overseas.
The British government warns that going to work in Ibiza, young people run the risk of “working long hours for very low pay.” and that they may expose themselves to a kind of ‘modern slavery’ due to a lack of knowledge of Spanish labor regulations.
Britain’s Home Secretary, Seema Malhotra, witnessed Operation Karetu unfold at London Gatwick Airport on Tuesday, where she explained that “traveling abroad for a summer in the sun is an exciting prospect for thousands of young people across the country, but it is important that they are able to do so safely. Operation Karetu is just one example of the Border Force’s work to protect the British public, ensuring that young people are safe from unscrupulous employers“.