Uber Eats and Deliveroo face modern slavery charges in Paris court battle
Four socially engaged aid organizations have filed criminal complaints in Paris against the food delivery platforms Uber Eats and Deliveroo, accusing them of "modern slavery" and "human trafficking." The couriers employed by these companies—who mostly use rented bikes to deliver meals and other orders from fast-food outlets and restaurants—are not classified as regular employees with full rights and the social protections standard in France. Instead, they exist in a legal gray zone: technically self-employed yet entirely dependent on a single client. Is this even legal? For the NGOs bringing the case, the answer is as unclear as the couriers' actual contractual rights.
The business model of the US-based platform Uber Eats and its British rival Deliveroo "relies on the exploitation of precarious labor, primarily immigrants subjected to undignified working conditions and wages," Thibault Laforcade, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, told AFP. He argued that these scandalous conditions are the only way the companies can generate their "substantial profits." In France alone, an estimated 100,000 couriers work for these platforms.
A study by the humanitarian organization Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) supports the claim that terms like "slavery" and "human trafficking" are not hyperbole. According to the report, couriers work an average of 63 hours per week, with most earning less than €900 a month—only a fraction make more than €1,500. France's legal minimum wage (€1,443 net per month for a 35-hour workweek) remains far out of reach.
Many also face the constant threat of deportation. Roughly two-thirds lack proper documentation (residency and work permits) and are forced to "rent" accounts from acquaintances, leaving them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and exposed to risks. The study found that six out of ten couriers surveyed had been in accidents, and three out of four had been injured.
While Uber, for instance, offers free medical insurance, this benefit is effectively meaningless without valid papers. The plaintiffs further allege that the system for assigning and paying for deliveries is "opaque," raising suspicions of discrimination.
This harsh reality was depicted in the 2024 French feature film Souleyman's Story, which became a box-office success. Who would have thought that a social drama exposing capitalist exploitation would resonate not only with audiences but also with critics at the glamorous Cannes Film Festival—and even stir the conscience of France's political leadership?
Abou Sangaré, the film's lead actor—a Guinean immigrant who arrived in France illegally—received his residency permit in 2025 after winning acclaim in Cannes. Yet for the real-life "Souleymans," nothing has changed. The NGOs' lawsuit aims to keep their plight in the spotlight.
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