KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Italian media have reported that police in the country have arrested two Pakistani citizens on charges of killing four migrant workers, including three Afghan nationals and one Pakistani citizen.
The bodies of these individuals were found on Tuesday (June 2) inside a burned vehicle at a fuel station and in a large agricultural area in the southern region of Calabria. Another Afghan citizen survived the incident by breaking the car windows.
According to Italian media reports, CCTV footage shows that two people locked the doors of the vehicle from the outside and then set it on fire by pouring a liquid on it.
Firefighters were called to the scene at around 1:00 PM local time yesterday, and after extinguishing the fire, they discovered four burned bodies.
Italian media reports also state that two Pakistani suspects were arrested based on CCTV footage.
The survivor of the incident said that the event occurred after the arrested individuals demanded travel money from the passengers of the vehicle, and their refusal to pay led to a dispute.
He also claimed that the workers had not been paid for their work in strawberry fields in the area, although they were provided food and accommodation.
According to reports, in recent months there have been 14 cases of vehicles carrying Pakistani migrants being set on fire in the Calabria region of Italy.
This region has also witnessed conflicts among migrants over the distribution of agricultural work and accommodation.
These killings have shocked Italian society and triggered widespread reactions.
Roberto Occhiuto, the president of the Calabria region, said that the incident is “inhuman” and that the news “shakes faith in humanity.”
The General Confederation of Italian Labour has also reacted to the attack, calling for action against the hardships of daily life faced by workers, including migrant workers, in rural areas of the country.
This incident has also reignited debate in Italy about migrant labor conditions, exploitation in agricultural sectors, and the urgent need for stronger protections for seasonal and undocumented workers to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the burning alive of three Afghan citizens in the criminal incident in Italy, describing it as “cruel,” “painful,” and “inhuman.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday (June 3), the ministry said it expects the Italian authorities to conduct a transparent and fair investigation into the incident, bring those responsible to justice, and take the necessary measures to ensure the rights of the victims and their families and to achieve justice.
Furthermore, the ministry emphasized the importance of protecting the lives, dignity, security, and fundamental rights of Afghan migrants living in Italy and other countries. It also expressed hope that effective measures would be taken to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents in the future.
