Moroccan Seasonal Workers Face Exploitation and Abuse in Spanish Farms, Union Reports

Over these two days of reflection, the participants from various backgrounds discussed various themes related to human rights violations suffered by Moroccan seasonal workers and agricultural workers in Huelva in general. "The abuses are multiplying year after year," denounced Najat Bassit, head of the seasonal workers’ union. She felt the need to create this movement to defend the rights of seasonal workers, after ten Moroccan women reported sexual abuse and labor exploitation in Huelva in 2018, reports Ameco Press.

The Moroccan seasonal workers who arrive in Huelva each year do not understand Spanish and do not know anyone in the country, which makes them easy prey for Spanish employers who, according to Bassit, are looking for "physically and psychologically destroyed women to exploit them easily in the fields of Huelva". "The workers can die of thirst, but the fruit must not die," she laments.

To read: Report Reveals Abuse and Dangers Faced by Moroccan Women Migrants in Spain

For Samira Muheya, from the Federation of Women’s Rights Leagues (FLDF, Morocco), the employment contracts of Moroccan seasonal workers contain provisions contrary to human rights. First, the selection of these workers is based on "discriminatory criteria" in the sense that they must be between 18 and 45 years old, divorced or widowed, with children under 14 in order to "guarantee" their return to Morocco, explains Muheya. Then, these contracts, written in Spanish, have no end date, forcing the seasonal workers to work until the end of the season.

Muheya insisted on the need to raise awareness and inform the seasonal workers from Morocco. "They must know the content of their contract, the working hours, the salary and who to turn to in case of conflict," she stressed, adding that it is also important that they know the rights of foreigners in Spain. "Some women think that if they give birth in Spain, their situation will be regularized or that if they arrive sick, they will be able to access health services without any problem," she said.