In the Andalusia region, many seasonal Moroccan female workers face precarious conditions in strawberry camps where access to clean water is nonexistent, and wages are meager. For years, advocacy groups have been mobilizing to defend their rights and fight for better working conditions for all these laborers.
In 2018, CNRS researcher Chadia Arab published an investigation titled “Dames de fraises, doigts de fée” (“Strawberry Ladies, Magic Fingers”), documenting the daily lives of these strawberry pickers, marked by exploitation, violations, and mistreatment. Saïda, one of the seasonal workers interviewed by Chadia Arab during her years of research, summarizes the situation of these women in two striking sentences: “When you think about it, we fought to work in misery. And it’s misery that makes us leave.” These women, coming from very poor backgrounds, had no choice but to try their luck in Spain in the hopes of making a better life. However, their situation upon arrival only worsened, and this has been ongoing for over 20 years.
These facts have recently been confirmed by the Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA). In a report following their visit to the fields of Huelva between July 4 and 8, 2022, GRETA affirmed that seasonal migrant workers are facing deplorable living conditions. During their visit, group members identified the presence of 25 “informal camps,” where 914 migrants resided, including 99 women. The majority of these individuals were undocumented and came from Morocco, Mali, and Ghana. They were housed in rudimentary shacks made of plastic films, similar to those used to cover strawberry plantations. According to the study, these people had no access to clean water, electricity, or sanitary facilities.
These extremely vulnerable workers find essential support in a small day center located near the fields. This facility was set up by several local associations, including the Red Cross, Caritas, and the Spanish NGO for migrant assistance, ACCEM, to provide basic services to those in need. However, the operation of this center is at risk in the long term due to a lack of public funding, as warned by GRETA in its report. The associations mentioned in the report believe that many migrant workers living in these camps are victims of labor exploitation and human trafficking. They are often forced to work long hours beyond the legal limit, while being paid below the minimum wage, or sometimes not paid at all. The document also raises cases of women being sexually exploited in these camps, a deeply concerning situation denounced by NGOs.
According to José Miguel Morales, president of the Andalucia Acoge association, this situation has persisted for over 20 years due to “social and institutional racism,” which keeps migrants in undignified conditions. Abdoulaye Sanogo, from the Association of Malians in Mazagón, stated that many migrants lose their sanity due to their deplorable living conditions, deprived of electricity and running water. In an interview with Euronews, José Antonio Brazo, representative of the Andalusian Workers Union (SAT), explains that workers who are not productive enough suffer mistreatment.
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In response to the concerns raised by the GRETA report, the Spanish government stated that there had been significant awareness regarding the situation of migrant workers in Huelva. In 2022, 329 labor inspections were conducted, compared to only 57 in 2018. Authorities have also strengthened the training of agents responsible for investigating cases of human trafficking. Over the past five years, specific training has been offered to social partners to facilitate exchanges and best practices.
During a visit to Doñana near Huelva conducted a few days before the GRETA report was published, the Minister of Labor, Yolanda Diaz, stated that “most” of the red fruit companies in the region complied with labor laws, and the working conditions of employees were adequate. However, she acknowledged that there were also companies that did not comply with existing legislation.
It is important to note that in addition to Eastern European workers and sub-Saharan migrant workers, it is primarily Moroccan women who come to work in Spain for the season under a quota system. Most of these women are directly selected in Morocco by Anapec. They face major challenges because most of them cannot read or write and do not speak Spanish. Chadia Arab explains that during the recruitment process, employers specifically seek out the most marginalized and vulnerable women, as this creates a dependency due to economic needs. This situation makes these women malleable, obedient, and exploitable.
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