Operation removes Paraguayans from work analogous to slavery in Ivaté The Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) rescued 19 Paraguayan workers who lived in a situation analogous to slavery. Among them were two minors. The rescue operation, carried out together with the Border Police Battalion (BPFron), took place on Monday (6). On Tuesday (7), the victims underwent hearings to try to guarantee their return to their hometowns. According to the MPT, the victims were exploited in cassava grubbing work in Ivaté, in the northwest of Paraná. ? Follow the g1 PR channel on WhatsApp A man, also Paraguayan, organized their arrival in Brazil by taxi, the value of which was deducted from their salaries. His name was not disclosed and, therefore, g1 was unable to locate his defense. Investigations showed that the victims lived in two houses in the municipality of Tapira, also in the northwest, without decent housing conditions, sleeping on dirty mattresses spread on the floor, with restricted food. According to the MPT, rent, water and electricity were deducted from each person's salaries, creating debt bondage. Furthermore, according to the MPT, the victims' freedom was restricted, because leaving the house had to be communicated to the organizer. ?? A organizer is someone who organizes, mobilizes or recruits people. In the rural sector, it is called the intermediary who attracts labor for the field. The investigations also revealed that only workers who were trusted by the recruiter could freely use their personal phones, and that victims were threatened and intimidated so that they did not report it to the authorities. In relation to rural work, the victims did not receive protective equipment – ??such as boots, gloves, hats/caps – nor living areas – such as cafeterias and toilets. Furthermore, according to the MPT, there was no water supply or replacement at the workplace. Workers provided services informally, without recognition of basic labor rights. From the salary they received, debts contracted with the recruiter were deducted, leaving only R$400 to R$500 per month. Workers lived without decent housing conditions, sleeping on dirty mattresses and with restricted food MPT Some of the workers had been living in these conditions for around a year. Most of them had been there for three months. Payment and return of victims to their cities of origin in Paraguay were made this Thursday (9). Before that, the workers were housed in a halfway house. The payment was made by a company in the sector, which has no direct relationship with the exploitation of workers, but which collaborated to ensure their return to their country of origin. The agreement was confidential. Investigations continue in order to hold the Paraguayan organizer accountable. READ ALSO: Aggression: Father who kicked three-year-old daughter is arrested Violence against women: Neighbors hear screams and try to save woman while she is killed by her partner inside a locked house Happy ending: Groom suffers accident on the way to the wedding, survives and ceremony that would take place at sunset ends up illuminated by headlights from guests' cars Freedom of victims was restricted and exits from the house had to be communicated to the MPT organizer Complaints Cases of work similar to slavery can be reported anonymously and securely through the Ipê System, available online. Access this link The platform was launched by the Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT), in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), and integrates the permanent actions of the Labor Tax Audit in combating contemporary slave labor. VIDEOS: Most watched on g1 Paraná Read more news on g1 Paraná.