Amendolara farm‑worker massacre spurs church and officials to condemn caporalato

On June 1 2026, four agricultural laborers were killed in a shooting at a service station on State Road 106 near Amendolara, Calabria. The incident, linked to illegal labor recruitment (caporalato), prompted a coordinated response from the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) and regional authorities.

On July 4 a commemorative event was held in Amendolara, organized by CEI representatives, the bishop of Cassano all’Ionio, and local officials. A flower wreath was placed at the crime scene, followed by a round‑table discussion at the Madonna della Salute parish. Speakers included bishops Francesco Savino and Giuseppe Alberti, prefect Rosa Maria Padovano, and Chamber of Commerce president Klaus Algieri, who addressed workers’ dignity, legal protections, and measures to prevent labor exploitation. The gathering aimed to honor the victims—Amin Fazal Khojani, Ullah Ismat Qiemi, Safi Iayjad and Waseem Khan—and to outline concrete steps for safeguarding vulnerable farm workers in the region.