Mirsad
A man from Bosnia and Herzegovina who wanted to provide for his family
An opportunity to work abroad
A colleague from the village informed Mirsad about an excellent job opportunity in Slovenia within the construction industry. An agency would arrange for a bus to pick him up and take him to his job in Slovenia.
Living in poverty and struggling to make ends meet each month, he made the tough decision to go abroad in order to earn money to support his family.
After an unofficial marriage, she moved in with her ‘husband’ and his family, where she was exploited and deprived of basic necessities.
By the time she had turned 23, she had given birth to six children: four daughters and two sons.
Despite these difficult circumstances and the abuse, she persisted in the aggravating situation out of a sense of duty to her father and her immediate family.
Labour exploitation
After arriving in Slovenia, he was taken to the construction site, where he worked until evening. After his shift, he was taken to his accommodation, which consisted of several unheated worksite containers. The room was so crowded that the workers had to sit on the floor and take turns lying down. Despite these inhumane living conditions, he was required to pay his employer 200 euros per month for accommodation. He could not choose his own accommodation, and he owed his employer money for the bus transport from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Slovenia.
He did not receive a work contract and was denied breaks and vacation time. He was expected to work overtime constantly. If he was injured, he was still expected to work and could not take sick leave. When one worker complained about these conditions, he was sent back to his home country overnight, which made the others suffer in silence in fear of retaliation.
Initially, the pay was minimal, but eventually, it stopped altogether. He felt hungry, exhausted, ashamed and heartbroken since, despite all his hard work, he could not send any money back to his family for them to survive on.
He did not seek help on his own because he did not see himself as a victim.
Protection and the end of the exploitation
After the crimes had been detected and reported to the police, the company was shut down and the exploitation stopped.
When asked why he had continued to work given the exploitation and the fact he was not being paid, he replied,
"If I work, at least I have the hope of getting paid and providing for my family. If I stay at home and do not work, I have no such hope".
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