Agromafia, 'caporalato,' and a system enslaving migrants in Italy

The recent murder of four agricultural workers in Calabria has brought renewed attention to the pervasive exploitation of migrant laborers within Italy's agricultural sector. Social organizations estimate that one in four agricultural workers in Italy falls victim to such exploitation.

Tazib Tazib, a Pakistani journalist who fled his home country, recounted his experience after arriving in Italy in 2021. He found work in the Veneto region, but his supervisor, acting as an intermediary, presented him with a contract that essentially granted absolute control. "Here it says you have to do what I tell you," the supervisor repeatedly stated. Tazib began working grueling hours, often 12-hour days for weeks on end, with no days off. "You couldn't get sick, you couldn't rest. The only rule was to work and be quiet. Someone was always watching us," he recalled.

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Here it says you have to do what I tell you

Living conditions were dire, with 20 men sharing a house meant for four, sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Workers were forced to buy their own tools and protective gear, including pruning shears and gloves, and pay for transportation to the fields. The promised wages never materialized. Tazib explained that after initially receiving low hourly rates, they went eight months without pay. The employer had allegedly paid the intermediary, but the workers remained unpaid.

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You couldn't get sick, you couldn't rest. The only rule was to work and be quiet. Someone was always watching us

Threats were a constant part of their employment. "If you didn't do what they asked without question, they threatened to set you on fire," Tazib told El Pais. It was only after he and his colleagues contacted a union that they discovered the deception: their contract stipulated only 10 hours of work per week. Tazib's story is emblematic of the 'caporalato' system, an illegal labor-brokering network where 'caporali' (foremen or recruiters) supply exploited workers to agricultural companies. These recruiters manage recruitment, transport, housing, and payments, often skimming wages and wielding immense power over vulnerable laborers.

While 'caporalato' has historically affected Italian workers, foreigners from Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe now constitute the majority of victims. They are particularly susceptible due to language barriers, uncertain immigration status, and a lack of support networks. "They always target those who don't speak Italian well and don't know their rights. They exploit people who need a job. Those who have just arrived in Italy almost always end up in agriculture because, without papers, they have no other option," Tazib summarized.

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Oni uvek ciljaju one koji ne govore dobro italijanski i ne znaju svoja prava. Iskorišćavaju ljude kojima je potreban posao. Oni koji su tek stigli u Italiju skoro uvek završe u poljoprivredi jer, bez papira, nemaju drugu opciju