The olive season in Sicily ended in November. During the harvesting season, which runs from September to November/December, around 1,500 to 2,000 people live in an informal camp for seasonal workers. This camp, located near the village of Campobello di Mazara, has existed for several years and is one of dozens of similar camps across Italy.
After the harvesting season, the camp becomes a shelter for dozens of people who reside there permanently. These residents are mainly men—refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants from West African countries—who work on nearby farms harvesting olives, vegetables, and fruits for very low wages.
During the off-season, work is scarce, and most of these individuals live in homeless conditions, working only a few days a month for local farmers. Many of them arrived in Europe years ago, yet some still do not have proper Italian documentation, such as refugee status or work permits. They have been waiting for these documents for over three years.
At the beginning of 2018, local authorities decided to dismantle the camp and force the homeless refugees and migrants to leave. After the carabinieri demolished all the tents and sheds, dozens of people from the camp relocated to abandoned houses and factories in the surrounding area. These makeshift shelters lack basic amenities such as water, electricity, and sanitation facilities.
Lamin ( from Gambia), in a place where his "home" was a few weeks ago, in one of the many illegal camps for farm workers in Sicily where refugees and immigrants from Western African countries lives. One night he felt smoke and noticed the fire. The fire burned 15 houses in which sleep a dozen people, all fortunately managed to escape. Lamin lost all documents, clothes and money he had worked in Italy for several years.
Homeless people from West Africa, getting warm in informal camp.
Farm workers in informal camp. The temperature in Sicily, at night, in the period between December and March drops to 4-5 degrees, it is also a period of very heavy rainfall. There is no heating, no water and no electricity in the camp, so firewood is collected from the fields nearby to burn it in metal buckets to warm up for a while.
Refugees and migrants in front of temporary office, giving permission to work on the farms. Around 1500 people coming from all Italy to work on nearby olives farms, they are mainly men, refugees, asylum seekers and migrants from Western African countries.
Omar getting ready to work at the farm nearby the camp.
Abdulie, taking bath in front of abounded house, his shelter, in the middle of nowhere. He was living in the informal camp for around 3 years before police came to force all people to leave. Together with his several friends, he moved to this house, there is no electricity, no water, toilet and bathroom. He is in very deep depression, for many months he have no work, also for more than 4 years he doesn't seen his family, wife and 3 children. Also every day, several times, his mum and wife call him online to ask about money for food for all his family.
Evening bath in informal camp.
Cafe preparation in one of the abandoned houses around Campobella di Mazara. It's shelter for several people from Gambia and Senegal, there is no water and electricity, no toilet and bathroom or even doors or windows.
Homeless farm workers in the informal camp located at the Campobello di Mazara.
Refugees and migrants from Gambia and Senegal, charging their phones in one of the tent in camp. During the period of harvesting local residents share and allow people from the camp to connect to electricity and water. Immediately after the end of the olive season in December, local police and carabinieri officers show up to cut off the electricity.
Homeless farm worker from Gambia is praying in mosque located in the informal camp
