فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
A recent investigation has uncovered serious violations of the rights of Moroccan seasonal workers employed in strawberry harvesting in the province of Huelva, Andalusia, Spain. This sector accounts for about 8% of the region’s GDP, with Moroccans constituting the majority of the foreign workforce in this crop.
The investigation, published by the Spanish media outlet Público, highlighted two complaints filed during the final weeks of the harvest season. The first case involved a group of Moroccan women who arrived in Huelva on April 7 to work with the company Berrys la Dehesa, located in Cartaya, under the seasonal migration program GECCO, which provides temporary contracts with mandatory return to the country of origin.
After a few weeks, these women stopped working without having signed contracts or received wages, and without obtaining their foreigner identity cards (TIE), which are essential to access labor and residency rights in Spain. The trade union CCOO, which followed the case, revealed that one of the workers, who was five months pregnant, along with her colleagues, faced severe economic hardship after sending money to their families, believing their employment would continue normally.
They were later subjected to harassment by the supervisor and employer, who demanded they return to Morocco “alive,” without offering any solutions or respecting the initial agreements. Following CCOO’s intervention, the company was eventually forced to sign contracts, pay wages, and issue administrative documents. The union demanded that these workers be assigned to other companies in the future to avoid any risk of retaliation.
The second case concerns a 47-year-old Moroccan woman who has been living in Huelva for seven years. Diagnosed with cervical cancer, she was sent back to Morocco in the middle of her treatment. According to the investigation, the employers’ claim that she voluntarily requested repatriation due to her health condition is contradicted by migrant women’s rights associations advocating for her continued treatment in Spain.
This woman was receiving treatment at a hospital in Huelva but, lacking the means to continue care either in Spain or Morocco, she was forced to return. Her case, along with another worker similarly diagnosed with cancer and compelled to return to Morocco despite years of work, raises serious concerns among human rights organizations.
Huelva produces 97% of Spain’s red fruits, which are mainly exported to Europe, especially the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Specifically, Huelva is the world’s largest exporter of strawberries.
These violations occur despite the legal framework regulating seasonal workers under the GECCO program, which aims to organize seasonal migration legally and provide workers with rights and protections. The investigation raises questions about the actual implementation of these laws on the ground.
Such abuses threaten the reputation of the agricultural sector in Huelva and harm compliant producers, calling for urgent intervention by relevant authorities to ensure the protection of workers’ rights and prevent exploitation.
