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Systemic exploitation of migrant workers -

Migrant laborers in European agriculture face systemic exploitation, enduring long hours, poor working conditions, and inadequate wages.

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A vulnerable position -

According to a report by Oxfam and the Comillas Pontifical University, these issues are widespread, with workers lacking essential services and being highly dependent on employers, placing them in a vulnerable position with few alternatives.

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Critical role of migrant workers in agriculture -

Europe's agricultural sector relies heavily on migrant labor, employing around 2.4 million seasonal workers from both within and outside the EU.

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Essential to food production -

These laborers, often from countries like Romania, Bulgaria, and even non-European nations, are essential to food production across Europe but face low wages and exploitative working conditions.

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EU's key employers of migrant labor -

Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and Poland employ large numbers of migrant seasonal farmworkers, relying heavily on their labor to sustain agricultural production.

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Residency dependency -

Many migrant workers lack proper residency documents and hope to secure them through employment contracts, which gives employers significant power over workers.

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Long working hours -

Examples of excessive work hours are common, like Thai berry pickers in Sweden working 12 to 19 hours daily.

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Physical strain -

Migrants in agriculture often endure grueling hours without fair compensation, facing exhaustion and health risks due to intense labor and insufficient rest.

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Wage discrimination -

In nearly all surveyed EU countries, migrant agricultural workers earn below the minimum wage, with women experiencing even greater inequality.

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Gender pay gap -

For instance, in Italy, women in agriculture earn 30% less than men, highlighting significant gender-based wage disparities within an already underpaid workforce.

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Limited ability to seek justice -

Migrants also often face unpaid overtime, delayed payments, or complete denial of pay, with limited ability to seek justice for these abuses.

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Wage deductions for basic necessities -

Employers frequently deduct costs for housing, food, and mandatory protective equipment from migrant workers’ wages, often at inflated prices.

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Limited resources -

These deductions leave workers with minimal earnings and, due to fear of retaliation, they have limited recourse to challenge these exploitative practices.

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Intermediaries and hidden hiring costs -

Some employers recruit migrant workers through intermediaries in their home countries, reducing wages and imposing demographic criteria based on gender or nationality.

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Payment to secure a job -

Workers sometimes pay just to secure jobs, and may find their wages further reduced by private health insurance fees if excluded from social insurance in host countries.

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Precarious status for undocumented migrants -

Undocumented migrants working in agriculture often face even greater risks, as their work contracts may represent the only path to legalizing their status.

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Migrants are vulnerable to exploitation -

However, this dependency leaves them vulnerable to exploitation, with few options for recourse if conditions are unethical or unfair.

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Poor housing conditions -

Housing for migrant workers is frequently substandard, with on-site accommodations like cramped containers and makeshift shantytowns nearby, lacking basic services such as electricity or water.

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Isolation -

Isolation from urban centers increases their difficulties, as transportation options are scarce and costly, limiting their access to essential services.

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Lack of access to healthcare -

Without official addresses, many migrant workers cannot register for healthcare services, leaving them unable to access medical assistance.

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Remote locations increase vulnerability to health issues -

Their remote locations further complicate access, making healthcare support difficult and often unaffordable, increasing their vulnerability to health issues.

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Safety risks due to language barriers -

With safety instructions rarely translated and necessary equipment often lacking, migrant workers face heightened safety risks at work.

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Real-life cases -

For example, 20 workers were poisoned by phytosanitary products in Italy, and a Nicaraguan worker in Murcia, Spain, died after working 11 hours in 44ºC (111.2ºF) heat without being provided water.

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Physical abuse -

Some employers use physical violence, document confiscation, and inappropriate behavior to control migrant workers and prevent complaints.

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Control tactitcs -

Such practices create a culture of fear, where workers feel powerless to protest exploitation or unfair treatment, risking serious personal consequences if they attempt to resist.

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Policy reforms to protect migrants -

Oxfam and other organizations urge for policy reforms to protect migrant agricultural workers. 

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Labor standards and human rights protections -

Recommendations include enforcing social conditionality in the EU's Common Agricultural Policy to ensure labor standards and human rights protections are upheld across Europe's agricultural sector.

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Creating a fair and safe work environment -

Improving housing, transportation, and safety training for migrant workers is crucial to fostering a safer, more equitable agricultural sector.

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Integration for migrant workers -

Policy reforms focused on worker protections and respect for human rights aim to create fairer labor conditions and better integration for migrant workers throughout Europe.

Sources: (Oxfam) (European Parliament) (Euronews) 

See also: Dangerous migration: Italy sends group to asylum processing centers

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