Associations in Calabria have condemned the worsening living conditions of foreign workers in the San Ferdinando tent settlement. Fifteen years after the infamous Rosarno riots, calls for urgent intervention are growing as violence, poverty, and overcrowding continue to put migrant communities at risk.
Associations and organizations active in the Plain of Gioia Tauro are urging the Prefecture of Reggio Calabria and the provincial Health Department of the Region of Calabria to address the deteriorating living conditions of foreign workers in the tent settlement of San Ferdinando and surrounding areas.
This appeal comes 15 years after the Rosarno riots of January 7, 2010, when hundreds of African immigrant workers staged a violent protest, clashing with police and causing significant damage in the town.
Read AlsoItaly: NGO MEDU denounces harsh conditions for laborers in Gioia Tauro
'An atmosphere of social tension growing to critical level'
"We are witnessing a worsening of conditions in the Gioia Tauro Plain,” states a joint letter dated January 7 and signed by Emergency, Afro World, Chico Mendes, Coopisa, Small Works of Pope John NGO, Caritas San Fernando Re, the Valdese Evangelical Church, Doctors of the World, MEDU (Doctors for Human Rights), Mediterranean Hope/Federation of the Italian Evangelical Churches, Reggio Is Not Silent, SOS Rosarno, and USB Calabria.
The note highlights growing social tensions:
"Fifteen years after the Rosarno riots, the atmosphere of social tension is reaching an increasingly critical level. An example of this is the recent aggression against a laborer of the Hostel Dambe So, who was run over by a driver between Rosarno and San Ferdinando, and the worsening of the socio-health conditions inside the tent settlement of San Ferdinando, the largest informal tent settlement of Calabria, where there is an increase of aggressions and fights", continues the note.
Read AlsoSecret slaves: Indian farm workers in Italy
Precarious conditions in the tent settlement of San Ferdinando
In particular, the associations present on the territory say they are "alarmed by the growing tension that often turns into violent episodes."
"The Gioia Tauro's Plain is inhabited by many foreign laborers, who are often underpaid, work in the fields and are forced to work inhumane hours, and to live in precarious lodgings such as tents and abandoned buildings, often without having access to basic hygiene services", the associations underscore.
The tent settlement in San Ferdinando, housing over 500 people, is described as a neglected site. “The settlement lacks hygiene and sanitation, has no heating, and exposes its residents to numerous risks,” the letter states.
In such harsh conditions, many vulnerable residents turn to alcohol, drugs, and psychiatric medication, leading to severe health consequences and disruption of life within the camp. "Many of these people are sent away and start wondering in the nearby cities," the note concludes, underlining the urgent need for institutional intervention.
Read AlsoMigrant workers still exploited in southern Italy, says NGO