Labour abuses and exploitation of immigrants in EU's agriculture exposed

According to estimates from Comillas University in Madrid, every agricultural worker in the European Union is an immigrant. Experts point out that the accurate data is not known due to possible abuses; however, immigrants have become a structural element of the agri-food chain in the Union.

According to a study conducted with the humanitarian organization Oxfam Intermon, at least 2.4 million immigrants are already working on fruit and vegetable plantations in EU countries.

Experts from the Spanish university believe that the precise number of immigrants employed as labour in European agriculture is unknown, partly due to exploitation and the concealment of their presence on farms.

Immigrants have become a structural element of the agri-food chain in the EU, meaning the abuses they experience are also structural, said report co-author Carlos Ruiz.

The authors listed wages below the national minimum, forced overtime, and accommodation in unsanitary conditions as among the most frequently experienced forms of abuse by those employed in European agriculture.

A common phenomenon on European plantations, as noted by the authors, are also accidents involving immigrants, often resulting from a lack of proper training. The most common injuries include heat strokes from prolonged exposure to the sun, dog bites, as well as falls and injuries from improper use of tools and farming machinery.

The report was compiled based on the analysis of scientific studies concerning the situation of immigrants on European plantations from 2018 to 2023.