Italian government allocates €150 million for migrant farmworker housing in Puglia

The Italian government has inserted a measure into the new Public Administration Decree that earmarks €150 million from the Development and Cohesion Fund to convert public buildings – such as disused barracks and former slaughterhouses – into decent housing for foreign agricultural workers in the Puglia region. The funding compensates for the defunding of projects originally planned under the PNRR and follows a request from the Puglia regional administration to Commissioner Maurizio Macioce.

Regional Culture and Knowledge Assessor Silvia Miglietta welcomed the step, saying the provision “responds to a request advanced by the Region of Puglia to Commissioner Macioce after the defunding of PNRR projects” and that “our experience teaches us that exploitation in the fields is not fought only with controls, but mainly by removing the housing leverage that recruiters use.” The initiative is part of the “Puglia Accogliente” model aimed at dismantling the Mezzanone settlement, described as Europe’s largest migrant ghetto, and integrating migrant accommodation with the broader local housing shortage.

The plan is expected to be implemented by identifying suitable public properties for conversion, with the regional administration ready to cooperate on the details.