Migrant farm workers in southern Spain endure severe exploitation while supporting a booming berry industry. Huelva is a significant producer, supplying over 60% of the strawberries consumed in the UK. Many workers live in makeshift shanties without basic amenities due to their undocumented status. The seasonal workforce can reach 100,000, with a significant portion lacking proper documentation. Despite the lucrative nature of Spain's berry exports, worth more than 1.5 billion annually, conditions for laborers remain dire and dangerous, with risks of retaliation against those who speak out.
According to Diego Canamero, co-founder of Soc-Sat, the Andalusian Workers' Union, 40% of Huelva's seasonal workforce of 100,000 are undocumented. Without paperwork, the workers cannot rent accommodation, and so thousands are forced to live in shacks made of scraps scavenged from waste dumps, with no running water or electricity.
Spain's berry exports are worth upwards of 1.5 billion a year, so there are powerful forces at work here. Indeed, it didn't take long before our car was being followed.
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