Two Pakistani Men Arrested After Four Migrant Workers Burned Alive in Calabria Arson Attack

Police arrested two suspects identified by Italy’s state broadcaster RAI as Pakistani nationals. The victims’ charred remains were recovered from the burned-out van. The five men had been working in fruit picking roughly 20 miles from the gas station.

Taj Mohammed Alamyar, the survivor, told Sky Italia in Hindi that the men were being driven home by gangmasters when the attack occurred. He said he escaped through the rear of the vehicle after it was set ablaze. In a separate interview with a local RAI affiliate, Alamyar said in broken Italian, “I thought I was going to die,” while displaying a bandaged hand from burns sustained in the fire.

He added that he wanted to contact the victims’ families but lacked a phone or their numbers. The four deceased workers included three Afghans and one Pakistani. ” She noted that gangmasters often charge bribes exceeding $10,000 to smuggle workers into Italy and then control their housing, food, and transport while paying meager wages on uncontracted jobs.

Workers are frequently housed in overcrowded shacks outside urban centers. Corrado said the isolation created by such settlements contributes to marginalization. She added that migrant workers in Italy also die from suicide, accidental fires, and exposure to extreme temperatures.