Labor exploitation is a growing concern in Portugal, especially in agricultural regions. Authorities are keeping a close eye on the matter and have already conducted over 4,000 raids and inspections as of 2017. Last week, police raided a farm area in Beja and discovered 26 trafficking victims, one of the police's larger cases. Although trafficking figures are not out yet for 2018, Acasio Pereira, President of the inspectors’ union in Portugal’s Immigration and Border Service (SEF), noted that the numbers will not reveal the true scope of issue as the SEF does not have the capacity to inspect most properties where workers are being held captive.
See "Portugal tackles labor trafficking on farms but resources scarce", Catarina Demony, Reuters, February 14, 2019