A new hosting center for seasonal migrant workers has opened in Turi, a town in Italy’s Puglia region. The center was officially inaugurated on June 1 and will house up to 90 workers, mainly African migrants working in the local cherry harvest.
Governor of Puglia, Michele Emiliano, praised the center as a sign that the region is taking real steps to support and integrate migrant workers. He visited the center with Turi’s mayor, Giuseppe De Tomaso, before opening the 33rd annual Ferrovia cherry festival.
The facility was funded by the Puglia regional government, which provided €45,000 for the project. Emiliano said the center is a key part of ensuring that seasonal workers are treated with dignity and respect, especially since the region’s agriculture depends heavily on immigrant labor.
The center includes five apartments located right in the heart of Turi. Each unit is 190 square meters and includes shared spaces like a common area and a canteen. This new housing replaces the tents that were previously used, which many said made the town feel unsafe and overcrowded.
Governor Emiliano met several workers during his visit and said that this new model should be used in other regions of Italy as an example of how to improve immigration policy and worker support.
Turi’s mayor, De Tomaso, thanked the regional government for its help, especially the office of immigration councillor Viviana Matrangola and manager Vitandrea Marzano, for their cooperation and dedication to the project.
Councillor Matrangola explained that hosting workers in apartments inside the city is a fresh and more inclusive idea. It shows that safe and proper integration of migrant laborers is possible when different departments and the local community work together.
The project is seen as a model for other areas in Puglia, such as Salento, Bari, and Capitanata, where similar efforts to house and support seasonal migrant workers are now being planned.