ROME,Italy-Thousands of Indian farm labourers in Italy are demanding an end to “slavery” following the tragic death of a worker that has highlighted the severe exploitation faced by undocumented migrants.
Satnam Singh, 31, who worked without legal papers, died recently after his arm was severed by a machine. The farmer he worked for abandoned him on the roadside, along with his severed limb.
“He was discarded like a dog. We face exploitation every day, and it must stop now,” said Gurmukh Singh, leader of the Indian community in Italy’s Lazio region.
“We come here to work, not to die,” he told AFP news agency.
Children held up colourful signs demanding “Justice for Satnam Singh” as a procession wound through Latina, a city in rural central Italy where tens of thousands of Indian migrant workers reside.
Indians have been part of the Agro Pontino (Pontine Marshes) since the mid-1980s, harvesting crops like pumpkins, leeks, beans, and tomatoes, as well as working in flower farms and buffalo mozzarella production.
Singh’s death is under investigation but has sparked broader discussions in Italy about addressing widespread abuses in the agricultural sector, including the exploitation of undocumented workers by farmers and labour contractors.
“Satnam died in a day, but I die every day. I too am a victim of labour abuse,” said Parambar Singh, who suffered serious eye injuries in a workplace accident.
“My employer said he couldn’t take me to the hospital because I didn’t have a contract,” said the 33-year-old, who has struggled to work since.
“I have been waiting for justice for 10 months,” he added.
