Back to Borgomezzanone: EFFAT Leads MEPs to Witness Exploitation in European Agriculture

Back to Borgomezzanone: EFFAT Leads MEPs to Witness Exploitation in European Agriculture

Apr 1, 2026| Agriculture, Featured, News & Media, Press release, Uncategorized

Foggia, Italy, 31 March 2026 - EFFAT led a delegation of Members of the European Parliament from the EMPL Committee to the Foggia region to examine both the exploitation of migrant agricultural workers and the promising practices in place to combat it. The visit was organized in collaboration with Italian agricultural trade unions FLAI CGIL, FAI CISL, and UILA UIL.

Borgomezzanone: A Scandal at the Heart of the EU
The delegation visited Borgomezzanone, the largest shanty town in Italy and one of the largest in Europe, where up to 6.000 migrant agricultural workers live without access to running water or electricity, in makeshift shelters built from waste materials. Many of these workers are employed on farms that receive substantial EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies. For years, the vast majority of them has been working daily to ensure food is available on our tables, but can't claim any right without risking retaliation or deportation.
Ganmasters often charge workers with excessive fees for transportation, housing, and recruitment, leaving them trapped in a cycle of dependence with little to no realistic way to break free.

Casa Sankara: A better Model, yes still far from dignified integration.
The delegation also visited Casa Sankara, a social cooperative in the Foggia area. Around 500 migrants reside in containers, cultivating 20 hectares of land and producing over 200 tonnes of tomatoes annually through fair-trade partnerships. The project provides Italian language courses, vocational training, driving lessons, and cultural activities. Targeted funding for transport and production tools has enabled the cooperative to grow, and the recent addition of industrial sewing machines has further expanded activities into textile production, strengthening its long-term sustainability.

Understanding Italian Industrial Relations
The delegation also gained insight into the Italian system of industrial relations, including the work of CIALA-EBAT, a territorial bilateral body jointly managed by agricultural employers' associations and trade unions. CIALA-EBAT supports workers and companies through a range of services and welfare benefits, including financial assistance for healthcare, education, and family needs, demonstrating the value of strong social partnership in the agricultural sector.

The Path Forward: EU Action Required
The visit concluded with an exchange on the measures needed at EU level to end exploitation in the agricultural sector. EFFAT underlined the need for four urgent EU measures:

• Binding initiatives to tackle gangmaster practices and boost the frequency and effectiveness of labour inspections in line with EFFAT Model Directive
• A truly social inclusive EU migration policy, that defend the principle that a worker is a worker independently from the migration status or ethnic background
• The upcoming CAP reform to be used as an opportunity to raise labour standards rather than weaken them.
• The end of shantytowns as a priority of the upcoming EU initiatives on housing

Enrico Somaglia, General Secretary of EFFAT, said:
"We are back in one of the biggest shantytowns in Europe with a large delegation from the European Parliament's EMPL Committee. Today, MEPs from across the political spectrum witnessed both inspiring examples like Casa Sankara and the harsh reality faced by thousands of farm workers living in deplorable conditions and enduring daily exploitation, often on farms that receive EU subsidies.

Exploitation in agriculture is not only an Italian problem. It is a structural and widespread issue across Europe, and it demands urgent EU action. There is no more time to waste. We will continue to expose these abuses until policymakers finally take responsibility and act. This is a matter of social justice that no one can ignore."

About the Visit
The visiting MEP delegation was drawn from the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) Committee and included:

• Li Andersson, Chair (The Left)
• Isabelle Le Callennec (EPP)
• Estelle Ceulemans (S&D)
• Chiara Gemma ( ECR)

EFFAT organized the visit in close collaboration with Italian agricultural trade unions FLAI CGIL, FAI CISL, and UILA UIL, who provided essential local knowledge and facilitated meetings with workers and cooperative members.