Spanish media estimated the number of Moroccan women working on strawberry fields reached 19,179 this year, about one thousand more compared to last season. The fields are in the province of Huelva. The local newspaper 'Información de Huelva' indicated that the next arrival of workers will be similar to the current one, which was managed by the Spanish Ministry of Labor, Migration and Social Security. The newspaper explained that the sector employs around 90,000 people a year, including Spaniards and foreigners. About 11,500 female workers who had previously worked on strawberry fields in southern Spain were called up again while 7,500 new ones were recruited from fields in different parts of Morocco.
The 'Información de Huelva' pointed to a significant historical increase of Moroccan women immigrating to the province of Huelva for work on the fields, noting that they went from 2000 workers in 2016 to 19,179 in 2019.
Despite promises from the government of Saadeddine El Othmani the working conditions of Moroccan women farmers on the Spanish fields would improve, many of them are still continuing to experience abuse, physical aggression and exploitation on the job.
The Spanish news site 'La Mar de Onuba' revealed shocking information concerning three Moroccan women who have lodged a complaint with Spanish justice authorities regarding violations by Spanish employers. According to the reporting, employers failed to comply with the joint collective agreement and confiscated workers' passports by blocking women's wages and doubling working hours.
العربية 
English