Moroccan seasonal worker dies in Huelva sparking calls for investigation

A Moroccan seasonal worker died last week in Spain’s Huelva province, where she had been participating in the red-fruit harvest. The tragedy has reignited concerns over the working conditions of Moroccan seasonal women laborers in Andalusia’s agricultural sector, prompting calls from rights groups and trade unions for a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and stronger occupational health and safety protections.

According to Spanish media reports, the deceased, identified as Hakima, was from the city of Sidi Kacem and was the mother of four children. She had arrived in Huelva around 40 days earlier to take part in the harvest season, hoping to earn an income to support her family.

Accounts from people who were with her in her final days indicate that she returned to her accommodation after a long day of work, took a shower, prepared the meal she planned to bring with her the following day, and then went to bed. According to the same sources, a forensic report determined that she died at around 1 a.m.

The Women’s Organization in the Agricultural Sector, affiliated with the National Federation of the Agricultural Sector of the Moroccan Labor Union, said it had received the news of her death «with deep pain and sorrow». The organization noted that the information available so far suggests the likely cause of death was heatstroke linked to extremely high temperatures, recalling a similar incident that claimed the life of another female agricultural worker in 2019.

The union stressed that the working and living conditions of seasonal women laborers in Huelva raise serious concerns requiring urgent action from the relevant authorities. It added that it has repeatedly highlighted these issues and called for measures to protect workers and safeguard their dignity.

Calls for a Full Investigation

The Andalusian Human Rights Association (APDHA) also expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, stressing that «no one should lose their life while trying to earn a living for themselves and their family». The organization emphasized that protecting workers’ health, preventing occupational risks and ensuring decent working conditions cannot be treated as secondary concerns. It called for full respect for human dignity and labor rights.

Following the incident, migrant support associations and labor organizations in Spain launched efforts to locate the deceased woman’s relatives in Sidi Kacem in order to inform them of the circumstances of her death, help them obtain the necessary medical documents and explore possible legal action to shed light on all aspects of the case.

Rights groups and trade unions insist that the tragedy should not be viewed as an isolated incident. They point out that many seasonal women workers continue to labor under difficult conditions characterized by long working hours, extreme heat and precarious housing, compounded by the vulnerabilities associated with their status as migrant workers.

The organizations have called on Moroccan and Spanish authorities, as well as agricultural employers, to open a comprehensive investigation into the death and strengthen health and workplace safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.