African Migrant Workers Find Slim Pickings in Strawberry Fields of Southern Spain

In Spain, migrant men called “ghosts,” live in hidden plywood shacks adjoining berry fields, and wait for the next season’s harvest. But weather and laws have disrupted the plans of many who travel from Africa and Eastern Europe seeking work on berry farms. In 2008, Spain aimed to reduce immigration by reducing the number of temporary work permits for harvests. The country’s unemployment rate hovers around 20 percent, and immigrants based in Spain, about 12 percent of the population, are hit hardest, explains Jean-Jacques Bozonnet for the Guardian. Employers avoid long-term contracts and disregard immigrants already in the country. Instead, union officials claim that farmers prefer seasonal migrants, with short-term permits, because they have fewer rights and fear lodging complaints about work conditions. – YaleGlobal