The olive season in Sicily ended in November, during the harvesting season, between September and November/December, around 1,500-2000 people living in the informal camp for seasonal workers.
The camp is located next to the village Campobello di Mazara and has been around for few years, and it’s one of dozens camps in Italy.
After harvesting season it was shelter for dozens of people who use to live there permanently. They are mainly men, refugees, asylum seekers and migrants from Western African countries, they work on nearby farms, harvesting olives and other vegetables and fruits, for very low money.
Out of season there is not so much work, and most of them living as homeless and working occasionally, a few days a month, for local farmers.
Most of people working at the farms came to Europe many years ago, some of them still doesn’t have all Italians documents like refugee status or permissions to stay and work in Italy, they are waiting for it for more than 3 years.
At the beginning of 2018, local authorities decide to remove the camp and force homeless refugees and migrants to leave.
After Carabinieri (Italian Police) demolished all tents and sheds, dozens of people from camp moved to abandoned houses and factories located around the village. So they are living now without access to water, electricity, bathroom and toilets.
About the author:
Marius Zsmiejek is a Freelance documentary and portrait photographer, born in Poland in 1978. His work is dedicated to expose issues of post-conflict territories and societies. Mariusz lives in Belfast since 2011 and has been documenting a long term project about the transition and everyday life in Northern Ireland during the peace process.
Since 2017 he work also on long term stories about daily life and condition of refugee and migrants from Western Africa living in Sicily.
His photographs were published in The New York Times, National Geographic, The British Journal of Photography, Time, BBC, Boston Review, The National, De Volkskrant, DR, Open Democracy among many others.
