Four migrant workers—three Afghans and one Pakistani—were allegedly burned alive in a car at a petrol station in Calabria, southern Italy, in an attack that has reignited outrage over the exploitation of foreign farm labourers. The incident, captured on surveillance camera at a garage in Amendolara near Cosenza, led to the arrest of two Pakistani nationals on charges of aggravated murder, according to public prosecutor Alessandro D’Alessio.
The video footage, broadcast by Italian media, appears to show the suspects pouring liquid into the back of the vehicle while it was parked next to a petrol pump, then setting it ablaze and blocking the doors to prevent escape. A fourth Afghan man, a strawberry picker who shared a flat with the victims, managed to escape through the boot and suffered burns to his arms. In an interview, he described the killers as part of a “huge Pakistani mafia” and said the victims had been forced to work without pay, receiving only food and board.
The attack has highlighted the widespread exploitation of farm workers under the caporalato system—a network of gangmasters who illegally recruit poorly paid labourers, facilitated by flaws in immigration and labour law. Francesco Savino, vice-president of the Italian bishops’ conference, called for a “revolt of conscience” against exploitation, saying the murders “shakes the faith in humanity.” Italy’s largest trade union, CGIL, described the killings as an “unspeakable horror” and urged politicians to combat the daily abuses faced by migrant workers.
Roberto Occhiuto, president of the Calabria region, shared the video on social media, stating: “This is a chilling story that shakes our consciences and raises profound questions about the tragedy of migration, the value of human dignity and the responsibilities a civil society must assume toward the most vulnerable.” Many farm workers arrive in Italy by boat or legally by air after paying gangmasters thousands of euros for promised jobs.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pledged to clamp down on the gangmaster system following the death of Satnam Singh, an Indian farm worker crushed by a machine in June 2024. Her government has increased farm inspections and expanded legal immigration channels, issuing 500,000 new work visas for non-EU nationals by 2028. However, unions have criticised bureaucratic delays in processing the visas.
