Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned the “horrific murder” of four migrant workers who were burned alive in a minivan in Calabria. The attack, caught on surveillance camera at a garage in Amendolara near Cosenza, showed the vehicle being set alight with the victims still inside.
Police have arrested two Pakistani nationals in connection with the incident. In a post on X, Meloni said the arrests are important steps in “establishing the truth and determining responsibility”, adding: “Italy does not back down in the face of violence and barbarity.”
The sole survivor, 35-year-old Afghan Taj Mohammad Alamyar, said the migrants were being driven home after a day of fruit-picking when the minivan stopped at a petrol station. It was then doused with petrol and set alight. “We started screaming... In an instant, it was hell,” he told La Repubblica newspaper, adding that he escaped via the boot.
The victims were named as Waseem Khan, a 29-year-old Pakistani, and Afghans Amin Fazal Khogjani, 28, Ullah Ismat Qiemi, 19, and Safi Iayjad, 27. They had argued over money, having been promised a daily wage of €45 (£38.92) but receiving nothing since 20 April.
Calabria’s regional president, Roberto Occhiuto, said Italy must learn profound lessons from the incident, calling it “an appalling story which shakes our consciences”. Labour exploitation of immigrants has long been a problem in Italy, with around 30 per cent of farm workers working off the books in 2023, according to the Placido Rizzotto Observatory think tank.
