23/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - A public hearing on the exploitation of migrant workers in Europe is to be held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 24 October at the initiative of the Greens/EFA, PES, ALDE and GUE groups. Investigative journalists, NGOs and trade unions working in this field will tackle the question of exploitation, if not slavery, of migrant workers to the EU, whether they be legal or illegal. The event was organised after the report by Fabrizio Gatti (L'Espresso, Italy), who spent several days among immigrant workers in the Puglia region (south-east Italy), in which he denounced the conditions of slavery in which these migrants live. The journalist is especially known in Italy for having denounced the living conditions of illegal migrants in Lampedusa. During the hearing, Mr Gatti will confront the president of the Puglia region, Nichi Vendola. On 26 October, a conference is to be held in Brussels on the role of the regions at the level of European cooperation in the field of immigration. This event will provide an opportunity for representatives of the Veneto region (north-eastern Italy) to present the results of the test-bench programme launched by this region with several other EU countries. (bc)