migrant workers journey

12 Aprile 2012 | Sezione: Video-Cortometraggi | Articolo di: Michele Palazzi

According to Caritas’ data in Italy there are almost 4.900.000 migrants and at least 700.000 of those are irregulars. INEA – the public research body of structural and socio-economic agro-industry – has recorded as worker in agricultural field 102.000 people. However, these “irregulars” are excluded. Every year, in a sort of pilgrimage, seasonal workers move for miles from East to West and from South to North of the country. They haven’t any rights! Day by day, they follow each part of the harvest of agricultural products such as melons, tomatoes, grapes, olives and oranges. A long period that goes on for six or even seven month. The project describes and tries to document the working social and human conditions of these people; in a period that strictly marks their life during the tomatoes harvesting in Basilicata, a region of the south of Italy, during August and September. There are about 3.000 migrants willing to work even 12 hours per day for only 25 euros. They live, or better they survive, in empty houses without electricity and water and in extreme poverty conditions. They don’t have any rights, any form of assistance. They are at the mercy of corporals, mostly Italians, deputies to control not only their jobs but above all their life.