Migrant workers burned alive in Italy; PM condemns 'horrific murder'

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned the “horrific murder” of four migrant workers who were burned alive in a minivan in Calabria.

The attack was caught on a surveillance camera at a garage in Amendolara, near Cosenza. Footage showed the vehicle being set alight with their victims still alive inside.

Police in Italy have arrested two Pakistani nationals in connection with the incident.

"The horrific murder of the four farm workers in Calabria has shocked us all," Ms Meloni said in a post on X.

She said the initial arrests are important steps in “establishing the truth and determining responsibility”, adding: "Italy does not back down in the face of violence and barbarity: it is essential to shed full light on this terrible crime and bring all those responsible to justice."

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mr D’Alessio, who is leading the investigation, said he has “never seen such cruelty” in 30 years of work.

Taj Mohammad Alamyar, a 35-year-old Afghan who was the sole survivor of the attack, said the migrants were being driven home after a day of fruit-picking.

The minivan stopped at the petrol station, at which point it was doused with petrol and set it alight, Mr Alamyar said, adding that he managed to escape via the boot.

"We started screaming... In an instant, it was hell," he told La Repubblica newspaper.

Mr Alamyar ​appeared with bandages on his hands and right arm in several interviews with Italian media outlets. He said three of the ​dead were fellow ⁠Afghans, while the fourth was Pakistani.

The victims were named in Italian media as Waseem Khan, a Pakistani man aged 29, and Afghans Amin Fazal Khogjani, 28, Ullah Ismat Qiemi, 19, and Safi Iayjad, 27.

The fruit pickers had argued over ​money, after being promised a daily wage of €45 (£38.92) for eight hours' work - but having received no money since 20 April.

The northern Calabria region in Italy’s south sees many underpaid workers who labour in the fields picking crops for low wages.

Calabria's ⁠regional president, Roberto Occhiuto, ‌said Italy must learn profound lessons from the incident.

"It is an appalling story, which shakes our consciences and raises profound questions about the tragedy of migration, the value of human dignity, and the responsibilities a civilised society must assume toward the most vulnerable," he said.

Labour exploitation of immigrants has long been a problem in Italy, sometimes ​with deadly consequences.

The ⁠Placido Rizzotto Observatory think tank says around 30 per cent of farm workers were working off the books in 2023.