The prefect of Matera held a meeting with representatives from law enforcement, associations, labor unions and other government agencies in which the need for migrant housing emerged as a key priority.
The Italian farmers' association Coldiretti raised an alarm following the latest government decree, warning that a vaccination mandate for those over 50 could put the harvest at risk. The measure would affect one out of every three workers in the farming sector, one-third of whom are foreigners.
A tent city in the southern Italian Calabria region that hosts migrants working in the orange harvest burned down on New Year's Eve. The accident highlights the need for decent accommodation for migrant workers.
The Italian organization Doctors for Human Rights (MEDU) has denounced that living conditions of migrant farm workers in Gioia Tauro, located in the southern region of Calabria, remain critically precarious.
About 200 seasonal workers in the southern Italian region of Basilicata are currently staying in makeshift shelters in the fields, according to a local union, which is calling for more support from the cities nearby.
The trade union FLAI CGIL has pointed out a number of issues found at a reception center for migrant agricultural workers in southern Italy. Among the problems are a lack of guards, lodgings that are not divided properly, and issues with worker transportation.
Without an extension of stay permits for foreign seasonal workers, the harvest season is at risk, the organization of Italian agricultural producers, Coldiretti, has warned.
Tens of thousands of Indians, mainly Sikhs from the Punjab region, live and work in Italy’s Pontine Marshes. Most live like slaves, in spite of ongoing efforts to bring attention to the problem.
Italy's southern Apulia region has banned farm work during the hottest hours of the day, following the death of a migrant worker. Camara Fantamadi, from Mali, collapsed and died last week after working in the open in 40-degree heat.
The Italian farm association Coldiretti has started vaccinating migrant farm workers against COVID-19 in Italy's southern city of Foggia.
Farm laborers from Asia flock to the European country known for its booming agricultural exports. The workers are often brought by gangs of traffickers and are forced to endure inhumane living conditions.
The approaching harvest season brings a flow of migrants to Spain. The government fears that another coronavirus outbreak will follow if the workers are not vaccinated immediately.