International

Migrants, cheap labor to work in the fields in the south of Rome

Before dawn, Shoda, a 29-year-old Indian, goes out by bike to go to work in the countryside in Latina, an important agricultural province in the south of Rome and one of the most productive in Italy. It is one of the many migrants exploited as cheap labor in the area, the vast majority, according to the unions.

This young Indian from the Punjab region – like a large part of the migrants in Latina – travels every day the 20 kilometers between his rural neighborhood of the town of Aprilia and the green fields of Latina, where he collects seasonal fruit and vegetables since his arrival in Italy two years ago.

Shoda, one of the 30,000 members of the Indian community in the area, claims to be happy with his work, although he only charges about 6 euros an hour – below the about 10 that the agricultural agreement marks – but is outraged by the death last week of his compatriot Satnam Singh after a serious accident on a farm in the region.

After being run over by a machine that cut his arm, Singh was abandoned on the street next to his member amputated by his boss, who let him die from a hemorrhage that would have been contained if he had received the necessary medical attention.

“They treated him like an animal,” he denounces to EFE Shoda, who in recent days went out to protest a tragedy that has once again focused on the labor exploitation of migrants, very common in Latina, an area with about 30,000 agricultural workers, 70% of them foreigners and many irregular and without a contract.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Andrea Coinu, a member of the CGIL union, the largest in Italy, leaves these early morning days to talk to the migrants who leave at dawn to go to work.

In a van with a dozen more trade unionists, he walks through the fields and villages full of fruit trees and crops to inform them of their labor rights in the face of the “extended impunity” of agricultural owners and entrepreneurs that, he says, culminated in Singh’s tragic death last week.

Since that incident, in the area “there is a lot of tension and fear, both on the part of workers and entrepreneurs,” says Coinu, who distributes pamphlets and talks to Indian day laborers of the Sikh religion with the support of a translator shortly before they are picked up to go to the countryside.

Even in the early hours of the morning, other vans with more workers pass by. According to the CGIL, they go to work accompanied by foremen, one more sample of the ‘caporalato’, a system very widespread in Italian agriculture – it would affect 40% of employees in the center and south of the country – and that has been prevailing in Latina despite being vetoed by law for years.

It is based on employing cheap labor through foremen – part of them from the migrant community – who choose the workers and keep part of the money that the employer offers as a daily wage.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Faced with the controversy over the death of the Indian day laborer, a new victim of the ‘caporalato’, the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni insisted in recent days on its rejection of that system, while unions, part of the migrant community and the political opposition accused the Executive of inaction.

“There are people who only charge four euros an hour despite the strenuous work in the countryside,” says Coinu, who hopes that, after Singh’s tragedy, “the authorities will really invest time in changing things” in a sector “very based on exploitation.”

According to the complaint, the bosses of Latina profit from all this, an area of fascist tradition populated by settlers from northern Italy in a project launched by Benito Mussolini in the 1930s.

The area has many water resources, which makes Latina one of the large areas of kiwi production in Europe, as well as vineyards and crops of melons, tomatoes or cucumbers.

“It’s a tiring job, but it needs to be done to support the family,” another Indian migrant of about 50 years old who goes by bike to work and complains about the bad conditions.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

As he explains, he changes crops and pattern according to the seasonal harvest, although unlike many others who must work clandestinely, he has a work permit and a stable situation.

That’s what three young Tunisians are looking for, hoping to improve their future in Italy, while the sunlight rises and they wait on the corner of a rural road for a vehicle to pick them up to go to work on a foreign land.

International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.