Spain Turns to Moroccan Migrants to Save Agricultural Season Amid Labor Shortage

29 April 2020 – byGinette · 1 min read

Faced with the inability of seasonal workers from Eastern European countries to reach the fields in Spain, Italy and France, due to the closure of borders in Europe, Spain has preferred to turn to Moroccan irregular immigrants. According to the association of Spanish farmers, this is a workforce that could help save the agricultural season in danger due to the secondary damage of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Association, various crops are threatened due to the coronavirus pandemic that has precipitated the closure of borders. In a statement, the Spanish farmers stressed that Moroccan and Senegalese immigrants will start harvesting vines and vegetables as soon as there is a "new easing of confinement", reports le360.

Currently, to save the agricultural season, Spanish farmers need 70,000 seasonal workers in the next two weeks, at the risk of seeing the crops rot in the farms. Spain is thus joining France and Italy, which had resorted to irregular immigrants.

According to some Spanish media, the country could also experiment with the use of irregular immigrants in the tourism and service sectors. The sector needs "100,000 employees in the Costa Del Sol and Marbella regions, and to serve in cafes and restaurants.

Category: Spain

Keywords:

Illegal immigration Spain Agriculture