The deadly effect of summer heat on migrant workers in Italy

It’s not surprising that we’re reporting on yet another form of labor exploitation in the city of Latina, Italy. Dalvir Singh, a migrant farm worker, was found dead in a field near Latina, and is believed to have died from severe heat exposure, drawing attention to the deadly effect of summer heat on migrant workers in Italy. According to the Italian Meteorological Society, average summer temperatures in Italy between June and August have increased by 1.5C over the past 30 years, reports The Guardian.

Latina, notorious for exploiting migrant laborers

In June of this year, after a migrant farm worker was left to die at side of the road, the center-left Democratic party (PD) called the man’s treatment a “defeat for civilization” and urged the government to eliminate the so-called “agro-mafias” that exploit migrant laborers in Italy. Many of these migrant workers live in ghettos or abandoned buildings, with gangmasters overseeing their employment and taking a portion of their wages. Despite the billions earned by Italy’s profitable food industry, these workers face low pay, 10–14-hour work shifts, and minimal employment rights.

Fabio Ciconte, the director of the food and farming NGO Terra said:

“When extreme heat is correlated with criminal activities in agriculture, it is clear that the tragedies we have been [predicting] for so long are actually occurring,”

In July, Italian police rescued over two dozen Indian migrants from a farm in central Italy and described them as “reduced to slavery” due to debt, confiscated passports, and poor living conditions.

“Working in such conditions is hell, not life.”

Similar to Singh, Famakan Dembele, a tomato picker from Mali, died last year in Foggia, a province in southern Italy. After a long, hot day of work, co-workers found Dembele unresponsive under an olive tree. Although they called an ambulance, paramedics declared him dead at the scene. Co-workers believe he died from extreme heat and exhaustion, a common risk for laborers in the area whose earnings depend on the number of tomatoes they pick. Dembele had been living in a ghetto near Foggia, where around 2,000 farm workers, mostly African migrants, endure life without running water, electricity, or proper sanitation.

Following Dembele’s death, many workers now hesitate to work during the hottest hours of the day, with some drinking up to five two-liter bottles of water daily to stay hydrated. Authorities briefly opened and then closed a judicial investigation into Dembele’s death without explanation. The Guardian’s requests for further information were denied. Union support worker Francesco Caruso highlighted the severe conditions faced by these laborers, noting that many work without contracts, endure extreme fatigue, and struggle to find daily employment.

Daniel, a former farm worker in France and Italy stated:

“If they poured money on me and said, ‘Well, now the tomato field is yours, you have to work on it every day,’ I would refuse. Working in such conditions is hell, not life.”

The number of workers injured or killed due to extreme heat in Italy this summer remains unknown. However, researchers believe the country experienced the highest number of heat-related deaths in Europe last year, with over 12,000 fatalities. Climate scientists caution that worldwide, migrant workers are among the most at risk from extreme heat.

Migrants’ vulnerability is not inherent, but rather a result of inadequate policies that limit their rights, protections, and freedom of movement, leaving them more susceptible to exploitation. The Freedom United community is calling on governments worldwide, including Italy, to implement and enforce stronger laws and policies to safeguard migrants from modern slavery and other forms of abuse.

Join us today! Sign the petition and stand up for freedom.