Indian restaurants in Center and South closed over suspected labor exploitation and human smuggling
Two Indian restaurants in Amsterdam have been closed for three months due to allegations of labor exploitation and human smuggling involving their owners. Investigators claim that employees brought from India were forced into extreme, underpaid working hours, a situation officials suggest may be widespread across the restaurant chain's multiple locations in the Netherlands.
Two prominent Indian restaurants in Amsterdam, Anjappar on Van Baerlestraat and Kailash Parbat on Weteringschans, have been ordered to close for at least three months. Mayor Halsema mandated the closures following the arrest of the owners in September on charges of labor exploitation and human smuggling. Authorities allege that the operators provided false information on work permit applications to bring employees from India, subsequently forcing them to work 60 to 80 hours per week under physically demanding conditions for poor pay. This suspected pattern of abuse reportedly occurred between 2019 and 2026.
Investigations into the restaurant group have expanded beyond the capital, with similar operations surfacing in cities such as Utrecht, The Hague, Hoofddorp, and Hilversum. While officials in Utrecht attempted to close associated locations, a judge recently overturned one such decision due to procedural errors regarding the right of response. Experts and officials have expressed deep concern over the prevalence of labor exploitation within the hospitality sector, noting that such systemic issues remain difficult to prosecute effectively despite rising reports of abuse.
Based on reporting by parool. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
