Campania's heat crisis deepens as migrant farm workers endure scorching conditions

Farm workers in southern Italy are wilting under record temperatures as the European heatwave moves eastward, according to reporting from The Local Italy. From sun-scorched fields to the corrugated iron shacks of sprawling shanty towns, there is no escaping the heat for migrant labourers in Puglia and across the southern regions. The World Health Organisation reported Sunday that over 1,300 excess deaths had been recorded in Europe since June 21 in connection with the heatwave. Most of Italy remains under red alert, with some relief forecast only for Wednesday.

The heat crisis exposes a fault line in Campania's agricultural economy. The region's mozzarella production and other farm-dependent sectors rely on seasonal migrant labour, often housed in informal settlements with minimal climate protection. The Guardian reported that Germany and Italy are sweltering under the heatwave as records tumble across Europe. For workers without air conditioning, running water or adequate shelter, the heat is not a discomfort—it is a health emergency with no institutional response.