On an asparagus farm in eastern Germany, the large area earmarked for barracks-style housing is divided in two.
One half is reserved for European Union citizens, mostly seasonal workers from Romania, while the other half houses non-EU nationals. Their nationality varies from season to season. Before Russian invaded Ukraine in 2022, they were mainly Ukrainians. Later, a small group of Georgians came under a bilateral agreement between the German and Georgian governments. This year, hundreds of Uzbek students, all male, have been living in the shabby accommodation.
The occupants of this one barracks illustrates a more general trend: recruitment geography for seasonal work is extending further east. With its multinational workforce and poor working and living conditions, this farm is a microcosm of seasonal workers’ reality in Europe's strongest economy.
