“Many migrant workers are living under disgusting conditions. Conditions in Sweden may be poor, but that is nothing compared to those in southern Europe,” says George Joseph, head of refugee and migration issues in the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm.
“Much of the food we eat and the clothes we wear are not just produced under poor conditions; often the conditions resemble slavery,” thinks George Joseph, head of refugee and migration issues in the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm.
George explains in detail about the terrible conditions for migrant workers he has encountered in countries such as Italy, Spain and Greece. He describes a combination of extremely low wages, long working days and abysmal living conditions; of workers forced to sleep in hot greenhouses or the eight workers forced to share a miniscule room.
George emphasises that this involves a lot of people. In Italy, Portugal, Spain and Belgium alone there are 5-8 million migrant workers living in shameful conditions. Statistics on the number of paperless migrants who have gained legal status through political decisions show that the group is large.
The division between those with legal residence and those with no papers can occasionally be movable and many people fluctuate between statuses.
“We have to remember that most paperless migrants initially arrived as legal immigrants. Then their work permit or tourist visa expired and they stayed in the countries. However, they then also lose their welfare rights. Sometimes, they have no right to healthcare and there are no schools for their children. They have immigrated legally, but ended up in limbo.
According to George, it is very difficult for those in the worst conditions to get their voice heard.
“They are afraid and can lose their jobs. I have met workers who have been beaten and raped and not dared reported it to the police. There is also a very large group being exploited sexually.”
George is afraid that the problem will grow, chiefly to the fact that demand for migrant workers is increasing within the EU.
“Amongst other things, it is down to an increasing number of families wanting home-helps. Many women are recruited from countries such as the Philippines and the Ukraine, but we are also seeing growing groups of migrant workers working in agriculture, as cleaners and in the restaurant sector. Several European countries would not be able to manage without these paperless workers. If they all got thrown out, services and agriculture would collapse, so the authorities turn a blind eye to the fact that they don’t have permission. Well, everyone knows they have no papers - the workers themselves, the employers and the authorities - but it’s only when the workers start making demands that they come off badly.”
According to George, an important issue of principle is getting more states to sign the ILO Convention on migrant workers. So far, only 36 countries have signed it and all of these are non-European.
“As things stand, only states from which many workers are leaving have signed the convention and that is unacceptable. Countries who are receiving a lot of migrant workers should also ratify it. Sweden should take up cudgels on this point,” says George.
MATS WINGBORG