Labor conditions in the strawberry fields of Andalusia, Spain are harsh for all workers regardless of their nationality: Salaries below the minimum wage, unpaid overtime, long working hours without breaks, and exposure to dangerous agrochemicals without protection are among the issues experienced by workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased these workers’ vulnerability to labor exploitation and creates even greater, possibly lethal, health risks....

Before departure, the [Morrocan] women have to invest EUR 350 for the visa fee and to pre-pay for the food and supplies needed for the first week of their stay in Spain... Employers have the right to rescind contracts at any time, giving them a tremendous amount of power over workers...

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has left approximately 10,000 Moroccan women without the employment they rely on, leaving their families without the economic support they so badly need. Additionally, many women have likely become indebted to banks, informal money lenders, or family members to pay the visa fee and transport and living expenses.

Moroccan women’s continued employment on farms often depends on their silence, so it is improbable that they will complain about labor violations or physical, sexual, or verbal abuse, never mind a lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to help prevent contracting or spreading COVID-19. ...

Despite these challenges, NGOs, unions, and international and local media outlets have documented a number of labor violations, including deceptive recruitment; a lack of compliance with contracts; passport retention; arbitrary dismissals; unfair disciplinary measures; discrimination; long working hours; a lack of breaks and paid vacations; a failure to pay workers for all hours worked; wages lower than promised; a lack of health and safety protections; failure of employers to enroll workers in  social security; and sexual abuse. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the vulnerability of these already at-risk migrant workers. There is extreme crowding in both worker housing and transport... workers in Huelva “live like animals” in crowded housing made of plastic, cardboard, and pallets that lacks electricity, water, and sanitation, making COVID-19 social distancing and sanitization protocols impossible to adhere to....

Recently, nine large businesses in the berry sector have been cited for labor violations for neglecting to implement measures to protect workers from COVID-19... One of the largest berry producers in Huelva recently fired a group of workers for allegedly demanding that the company implement measures to protect them from COVID-19 infection. 

[The article also covers] recommendations for agricultural producers that can be applied to better safeguard migrant farmworkers during the pandemic...