Today, once again, hundreds of migrant farm workers were faced with a catastrophic fire that completely destroyed the makeshift plastic shacks they are forced to live in by their employers.
The devastating fire has left these workers without shelter, clothing, or food. Everything they had — their savings, travel documents, and residence permits — was lost in the flames.
We strongly condemn the government of New Democracy (ND) and the regional authorities, who continue to ignore the repeated warnings and proposals made by the Labor Centers of Patras and Amaliada, as well as the demands of thousands of migrant workers who, for years, have been asking for humane living conditions — housing with access to drinking water and basic sanitary infrastructure. It is unacceptable that in 2025, thousands of migrant workers who labor from dawn to dusk across the vast fields of Western Achaia, Nea Manolada, and the surrounding region, continue to live like slaves, in plastic shelters, without clean water, toilets, and basic hygiene.
At the same time, while the government celebrates international agreements for cheap labor and record export volumes, no measures are being taken to protect the working and living conditions of the thousands of migrants who are currently toiling under the sun for starvation wages, housed in squalid shacks.
Everyone involved — including embassies and consular services — turns a blind eye, enabling the large business owners to grow their profits by exploiting thousands of migrant laborers. They do not care about the lives of those who produce the “red gold” of this region. Once again, the criminal nature of the state is exposed — it completely disregards our lives.
From the very first moment, the Labor Centers of Amaliada and Patras, along with dozens of trade unionists, were present at the site of the fire, standing by our migrant brothers and sisters, expressing solidarity, and demanding immediate action from the regional and municipal authorities of Amaliada and Kyllini to address the urgent needs of the affected workers.
We urgently call on all workers, unions in the region, and mass organizations to demonstrate their solidarity with migrant farm workers. We are immediately launching a collection of essential items (clothing) and food at the Labor Centers of Patras and Amaliada.
We demand here and now from the government, the competent Ministry, and the regional and municipal authorities:
- Immediate housing for the hundreds of migrant farm workers in proper accommodations or buildings, including hotels if necessary.
- Provision of drinking water, food, and essential clothing in the coming days.
- Immediate issuance of new residence permits and any other official documents that were destroyed.
THE ADMINISTRATION
OF THE LABOR CENTER OF PATRAS
