El Ejido

Taking a bus along Spain´s Southern coast, you´ll see on one side coastlines, umbrellas and resorts. On the other side of the highway, your first impression: endless snow covered mountains. But the snow is only the plastic cover of the invernaderos or greenhouses which have fueled an agricultural boom in the South of Spain, growing berries beans and other products.

El Ejido is a town made for the people who work in the invernaderos. The work depends on the rain, and there are long periods of unpaid unemployment. I spoke to M. from Mali in El Ejido, who says that the temperature varies between 50 and 53 degrees C. during the work season. M. has applied for regularized status but is still waiting a response.

El Ejido witnessed one of the most dramatic episodes of Spanish ethnic violence in the February of 2004.