The death of four migrant farmworkers in Amendolara, Calabria, on June 1, 2026, shocked Italy. It renewed attention on one of the country’s most persistent human rights issues: the exploitation of refugee labor in Italy. According to reports, the caporali (illegal labor recruiters) killed the workers after they refused to continue working without pay. The tragedy sparked renewed calls from NGOs and institutions for stronger protections for migrant workers and stricter enforcement against labor exploitation.

Thousands of refugees arrive in Italy every year, hoping for safety and economic stability, only to struggle against poverty, insecure employment, and exploitation. Many flee conflict, persecution, or extreme poverty in their countries, only to find themselves trapped in another cycle of deprivation in Europe. Without legal documents, stable housing, and access to regular employment, refugees are particularly vulnerable to abuse in sectors such as agriculture.

How Poverty Fuels Refugee Labor Exploitation

Agriculture is one of the sectors where the exploitation of refugee labor in Italy is most widespread due to the phenomenon known as Caporalato. This illegal system relies on intermediaries, known as caporali, who recruit vulnerable workers for farms while charging illegal fees, withholding wages, threatening workers, or exposing them to unsafe conditions.

Refugees and undocumented migrants often accept these conditions because they have few alternatives. Without residence permits or formal employment contracts, they are excluded from labor protections, health care, and social security. Fear of deportation or losing future opportunities to regularize their status discourages many workers from reporting abuse.

This exploitation reinforces global poverty rather than reducing it. Refugees seeking better economic opportunities often remain trapped in low-paid informal work, making it difficult to escape poverty, support their families, or build long-term stability. The result is a cycle in which vulnerability continues across borders.

Organizations Mobilizing for Migrants’ Rights

The situation of refugees is challenging, but some organizations work to improve their conditions and offer solutions to break the poverty cycle.

SIPLA (Integrated Protection System for Agricultural Workers) focuses on protecting migrants from Caporalato in Italy. It is divided into SIPLA North and SIPLA South to address slightly different needs. SIPLA operates locally, creating projects for assistance and training on workers’ rights, and nationally by promoting agreements with companies and large-scale distribution.

By the end of 2022, the Sipla North project reached 1,829 agricultural workers, opened 45 new help desks to assist migrants, and employed over 100 workers to assist exploited refugees. The project fostered collaboration between organizations with the same objective of ensuring respect for agricultural workers.

MILMAT, co-founded by the European Union, promotes labor and social integration on farms and ensures workers’ rights. The project fosters knowledge of rights and promotes the recruitment and respect of migrants. It also creates channels of communication between employers and workers to control discrimination and ensure commitment to work.

Government Action Against Exploitation

Italy has promoted the Decree Primo Maggio to address labor exploitation. Recent government initiatives include regulations aimed at combating digital forms of Caporalato, increasing transparency in recruitment processes, and simplifying access to legal work permits through digital platforms.

Although these reforms alone cannot eliminate exploitation, they represent important steps toward improving oversight and making legal employment more accessible for migrant workers.

– Ilaria Alberti

Ilaria is based in Dublin, Ireland and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

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