Four Migrant Farm Workers Burned Alive in Calabria Near Amendolara

Four migrant agricultural workers – three from Afghanistan and one from Pakistan – were found carbonised inside a minivan at a fuel station on the Statale 106 near Amendolara, in the Calabrian province of Cosenza. A sole survivor, an Afghan man, escaped by breaking a window and said the victims had asked their recruiters for the wages owed for work in the strawberry fields and were denied payment. According to his testimony, two Pakistani men blocked the vehicle doors, poured gasoline into the cabin and ignited it.

Surveillance footage captured the entire attack. Based on the video, police arrested two Pakistani nationals, Safeer Ahmed and Ali Raza, charging them with multiple homicide and aggravated murder. The investigation, led by the Procura of Castrovillari, highlights the role of the “caporalato” – illegal labour brokering that exploits migrant workers in Italy’s agricultural sector.

Regional authorities, including President Roberto Occhiuto, Vice‑president Vittoria Baldino and Bishop Francesco Savino, condemned the “act of barbarism” and called for stronger action against migrant exploitation and organised crime in the countryside.