The red fruit campaign in Huelva for 2025-2026 has made possible the signing of 1,013 labor contracts with refugees and asylum seekers, within the framework of a specific integration program promoted by the State Secretariat for Migration, integrated into the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
According to the Ministry's statement, the initiative is aimed at refugees attended to in the State Reception System and has the collaboration of the Association of Young Farmers of Huelva (Asaja) and the Association of Strawberry Producers and Exporters of Huelva (Freshuelva), which act as hiring intermediaries and group 34 agricultural holdings.
Along with these organizations, 12 entities from the reception system participate, including the Cepaim Foundation, responsible for social and labor support throughout the integration itinerary, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The program, coordinated by the Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and the International Protection Reception System of the State Secretariat for Migration, is based on direct agreements with agricultural companies that guarantee contracts of at least six months, as well as accommodation and transport for the workers. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) supervises the accommodation conditions "in accordance with compliance with the established standards".
The Secretary of State for Migration, Pilar Cancela, has emphasized that "collaboration between public administrations, companies, and social entities is essential to remove barriers and facilitate access to employment for refugees, something that strengthens our social cohesion and our productive fabric".
The data from the 2025-2026 campaign highlight a "significant growth" in this employability device. While in the 2024-2025 campaign 900 positions were offered, enabling the incorporation of 343 people, in the current period the number of companies involved has increased and the total offers have reached 1,776, representing an increase of 97%.
Of these vacancies, 1,013 have already been filled, representing a growth of more than 190% compared to the hirings registered in the previous campaign.
The "success" of these socio-labor insertion itineraries for refugees "allows for broader planning for future campaigns". In this context, meetings have been held with the Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers, the Association of Citrus Growers and Agri-food Cooperatives of Huelva, with the aim of publicizing the program and opening new lines of collaboration.
Public-private collaboration in the Huelva countryside
The employability plan for applicants and beneficiaries of international protection, promoted by the Ministry of Migrations for the red fruits campaign in Huelva, is based on a public-private cooperation formula, with the dual goal of achieving the full labor insertion of these individuals and responding to the demand for labor in the agricultural sector.
In this scheme, the Ministry acts as the institutional interlocutor, "guaranteeing that the project management ensures compliance with conditions throughout the campaign". In turn, the entities that are part of the State Reception System are responsible for disseminating job offers, organizing information sessions, and coordinating job interviews. Once contracts are formalized, the Cepaim Foundation assumes social and labor support, providing assistance, among other aspects, with financial inclusion and access to healthcare.
Integration challenges and spaces for reflection
This employment access mechanism is considered "one of the keys" to the integration of the individuals assisted by the State Reception System. Applicants and beneficiaries of international protection thus find "a solid and viable opportunity" to join the labor market.
With the intention of creating a space "for meeting and reflection" on the challenges and possibilities of the International Protection System, the Secretariat of State for Migrations and Convive Fundación Cepaim organized the conference 'Bridges towards integration' on May 29, 2026.
The event brought together representatives from the institutional, academic, and social spheres, along with professionals and participants in international protection programs. Throughout the day, several dialogue sessions were held on the international protection system, and debate spaces were created around coexistence, interculturality, and the role of employment as a driver of integration.
With the purpose of "putting a face, voice, and story to many of the life paths that are usually reduced to figures, percentages, or statistical discourses on migration", the meeting included the exhibition 'The Face of Numbers', a show "focused on human rights and intercultural coexistence, aligned with the values of inclusion and social cohesion".