Moroccan Strawberry Pickers Protest Travel Ban, Demand Access to Spanish Farms

About 1,200 Moroccan seasonal workers find themselves in this situation of being unable to travel to Huelva due to the health crisis. They demand that a solution be found as soon as possible to allow them to participate in the strawberry campaign, from which they derive most of their income.

"They don’t want to blame anyone, they just ask for a solution. Many of them have given up their jobs to travel to Spain, have paid visa and travel fees, but are still stuck in Morocco without explanation, while others with less experience have left," explains Lamarty, the ANAPEC spokesperson who spoke with some of them.

According to a spokesperson for Interfresa, the employers’ association that brings together the main industries in the sector in Huelva, 16,000 seasonal workers should be recruited for the 2020-2021 campaign. But only 12,725 have arrived by boats from Tanger Med to Algeciras, according to data provided by the sub-delegation of the government due to the health crisis and the closure of the Moroccan borders.

"Last year, 6,500 new seasonal workers were hired. Out of the new contingent, only 2,500 have arrived in Spain," note Moroccan sources surprised by the denunciations of the seasonal workers. Generally, Spanish businessmen express their labor needs to ANAPEC, which contacts them within 10 days. "Among those who were contacted, many did not want to come because their family or personal situation has changed, but those who have a visa and were not selected will be given priority," it is reported.