Turkey’s Limak Holding used undocumented foreign workers at Barcelona’s Camp Nou renovation site and dismissed at least 14 of them, according to Spanish and Turkish union reports.
The Catalan Labor Inspectorate is investigating the matter.
The investigation began in September after Spain’s Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) union, working with Turkish construction union DİSK Dev Yapı İş, filed complaints alleging labor violations at the project.
The Spanish union reported about 50 undocumented Turkish workers on the site to the Catalan Labor Inspectorate, saying some had worked there for more than a year.
Fourteen workers were fired in early November by subcontractor Extreme Works, which is linked to Limak, after they sought union support and took part in protests, CCOO said.
The union said Spain’s central government delegation should grant residence and work permits to workers who can prove more than six months of employment.
A separate investigation by the Turkish BirGün daily cited worker testimony claiming that an earlier inspection uncovered as many as 450 undocumented laborers from Turkey, Morocco, Pakistan and several South American countries.
Spanish authorities have not confirmed that figure, and unions say only the smaller number has been verified.
Workers described long hours, unpaid overtime and crowded housing conditions.
Emre Akkuş, a Turkish electrician who says he was fired after joining a work stoppage, told BirGün that many workers started their jobs the day they arrived in Barcelona without contracts or safety briefings.
He said monthly hours often reached 250 to 300, which exceeds Spanish legal limits, and that subcontractors placed workers in overcrowded company housing.
Workers also said expired tourist visas prevented them from returning home for family emergencies and left them dependent on subcontractors for housing and legal status.
The Camp Nou project uses a multi-layered subcontracting chain that includes Turkey-based Extreme İşler and Lithuania-registered Extreme Works.
Union officials say this structure has made oversight difficult and has allowed responsibility to shift across companies.
Catalonia’s Labor Inspectorate has received at least 10 complaints since construction began in 2023.
Labor Secretary Paco Ramos said Tuesday that the inspectorate will release its final report within weeks.
FC Barcelona awarded the 1.5 billion euro Espai Barça renovation to Limak in 2023.
Limak is a major Turkish construction conglomerate known for large government contracts in Turkey.
FC Barcelona has said it works with Limak to ensure compliance with labor law and that subcontractors are directly responsible for workers’ conditions, but it has not addressed the specific allegations about undocumented labor and long hours.
Barcelona’s public health agency opened an investigation this month after one worker tested positive for tuberculosis, according to El País. Health officials have tested 23 co-workers and are monitoring for additional cases.
Dismissed workers are protesting near the stadium demanding reinstatement, unpaid wages and full registration in Spain’s social security system.
CCOO and DİSK Dev Yapı İş say they will continue coordination across Spain and Turkey until workers secure legal status.
Authorities are expected to release their findings soon, which could shape future oversight of subcontractors on what is billed as Europe’s largest stadium renovation.