Strawberry harvest in Huelva limited to EU citizens (no cheap workers, please)

Only EU citizens will be allowed to harvest strawberries in Huelva this year in an attempt to reduce the crippling unemployment rate in the region, according to the Junta de Andalucia.

The Junta has refused to issue any temporary work permits to African workers this year, and has told farmer coops that they must “hire Spanish”.

Farmers usually hire around 5,000 African workers to help gather in the strawberry harvest, many of whom come over from Africa just for the short harvesting period on temporary visas before going back again at the end of the harvest.

Only some 1,700 registered Romanians will be allowed work permits, under EU regulations.

However, farmers have complained that they will be left shorthanded this year under the new regulations, as they find it difficult to hire local workers willing to work long hours for little pay.