#30 Irregular Workers and the Cost of Borders: The Pancyprian Farmers Union Speaks Out – with Christos Papapetrou

Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-30/.

In Cyprus today, migrant workers—many undocumented—form the backbone of its agricultural economy. In this conversation, Emmanuel Comte speaks with Christos Papapetrou, General Secretary of the Pancyprian Farmers’ Union, about how irregular migration, EU border controls, and local labor shortages intersect in the fields and villages of the island. From smuggling routes across the buffer zone to migrants attracted by welfare benefits, the episode exposes how Cyprus’ agriculture increasingly depends on migrant labor. A vital listen on how immigration is reshaping the rural Mediterranean.

This interview was arranged and edited by Andriana Lagoudes. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 101034403.