QATAR IN BELGIUM
exploitation in the heart of Europe
- TRANSCRIPT
-
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Those people come to Belgium
and end up saying:
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It's worse than in Qatar.
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Here, we were treated the worst
and exploited the most.
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We need help.
- Don't forget us.
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We need help.
- Don't forget us.
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Police are investigating
human trafficking at a construction site
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belonging to chemical giant Borealis
in the Port of Antwerp.
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They did not pay our salary.
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Our families in Türkiye are crushed.
We came here to work.
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The Belgian Government should give us
the chance to work. That's all we want.
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In total, there were at least
174 possible victims at the site.
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The government left those people
to their fates.
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That is inexcusable, of course.
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This is the biggest human trafficking case
in Belgium, and probably Europe,
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but it's also the biggest
act of resistance.
exploitation in
the heart of Europe
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Two months after the case broke,
there is still no help
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for most of the victims.
They decide to demonstrate daily
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to demand their right to protection.
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Like yesterday,
we will be holding a demonstration.
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We'll carry our banners
and let our voice be heard.
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We are victims.
- Don't forget us.
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WEEK 1
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We are victims.
- Don't forget us.
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We are victims.
- Don't forget us.
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We need help.
- Don't forget us.
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We need help.
- Don't forget us.
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We need help.
- Don't forget us.
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When this thing happened,
nobody came and said anything to us.
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Hüseyin
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And nobody cared.
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We're doing this action
to announce our voice to everybody,
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that we want to fight
against our situation,
00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:08,200
and we can get results.
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:10,680
We need help.
- Don't forget us.
00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,040
We need help.
- Don't forget us.
00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,600
We are victims.
- Don't forget us.
00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,240
We are victims.
- Don't forget us.
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Now, I don't have a job.
How am I supposed to support my family?
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We immediately need a solution
for working here.
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Afrose
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That's why everyone's taking
to the streets: to support our families.
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When I came here,
my son was only five months old.
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I was crying so much,
because my child needs milk,
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and it's not possible for me
to send money.
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Qatar, 2016.
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An International Labour Organization
mission investigated
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exploitation of the migrant workers
building the World Cup stadiums.
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Luc Cortebeeck headed up this team.
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Luc Cortebeeck
Chair, International Labour Organization
Governing Body, 2017-2018
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We saw the situation in practice.
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Where the people live.
Where they work.
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They often receive their wages
late or not at all.
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They are not paid enough, much less
than promised in their original contract,
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which has been ripped up.
They must hand in their passports.
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Then you're in a system of modern slavery.
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When I saw the situation at Borealis...
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This is the same thing I saw in Qatar.
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The fact that this can happen here,
that it's possible,
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that it can go on a while
before it's discovered...
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This really is not normal.
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Good afternoon.
This is David Van Turnhout.
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I wanted to find out just how many victims
have been recognised at this time
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and what their nationalities are.
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I'm an investigative reporter.
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At some point, a tip came in
about a big human trafficking case.
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That ultimately led me
to chemical giant Borealis.
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David Van Turnhout
Journalist
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Here, in Antwerp, they have a big site
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where they're building
a new plastic factory.
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The factory is primarily being built
by foreign labourers,
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and apparently they were also
being economically exploited.
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I was terribly surprised
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that conditions like those in Qatar
were possible here, in a sense.
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At first, it was a group of 55 Filipinos.
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Later, that group grew
to include 174 possible victims.
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The first group was recognised
fairly quickly,
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but it took much longer for another group.
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Those people were kind of forgotten.
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They were given no status.
They had no money or work.
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And they were in their exploiter's flat.
That was hell for them.
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I trusted that Belgium
had the right mechanisms in place
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to help those victims
almost straight away.
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It really upset me
that so much time was wasted.
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And then I got in touch
with Mr Buelens, the lawyer,
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and then those people got help.
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Human trafficking is
one of the worst possible crimes.
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Jan Buelens
Lawyer
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It means people are not only underpaid,
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but are also living in bad housing
and are threatened.
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And those people must be protected,
as set forth by law.
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So, legally, the case is clear.
Those people should get help
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from Payoke, a recognised centre
for human trafficking victims.
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But the government
doesn't give Payoke the funding
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to take those people in
and restore their rights.
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It defies the imagination.
It goes against humanity,
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against the law,
and everyone stuck their head in the sand.
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And how are those people doing?
- They're in terrible shape.
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We sense that they're exhausted.
They can't go on.
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Now they know they have that right,
as human trafficking victims,
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but it's not being given to them.
And we're completely stuck.
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We sprang into action,
because we felt that this is a case
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Mieke Van Laer
Lawyer
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that is practically a prime example
of human rights violations.
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So many human rights
were being violated at once
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that it was necessary
to do something about it.
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Okay, I can show you
the room where I live.
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Here. This is...
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As you see, over there, it's leaking.
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I think, in all, about 4,000 dollars...
Yeah.
00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,240
That they have to pay me,
but they didn't.
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Your condition deteriorates.
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You don't feel good
when somebody steals from you.
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I work as a pipe fitter.
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We fit up the pipes,
and the welder comes and welds.
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Yes, this is my job.
My welding number: 41.
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I worked in Iraq,
I worked in Saudi Arabia,
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and then I came to Europe.
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I hoped it would be good to work here,
but everything is fraud.
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Why don't they give us our real salary?
00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,440
Our real documents?
Everything...
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Why not give it to us?
Why do you cheat?
00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:48,920
You give the other welders
30 euros per hour. 35 euros.
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An Italian welder and I do the same work.
Why is it different?
00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:59,120
Why? Because our skin is dark
and your skin is white?
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We're people.
Am I not a person?
00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,720
Borealis is investing a billion euros
in the site. It's a huge project.
00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,960
The factory is being built
by subcontractors' workers.
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Borealis is at the top.
They entered into a contract with IREM.
00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:27,360
To recruit people,
they called on two recruiters.
00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,560
For the Turkish people, it's Ankitech.
00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,960
And for the Bengalese people,
it's Raj Bhar.
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The subcontractors are not subject
to any checks.
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No one checks whether they respect
wage and labour conditions,
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or whether they provide people
with reasonable housing.
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Nobody wants to know.
00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,480
If no one is in the know,
no one can be held accountable.
00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:54,480
And that's where Borealis comes in.
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I think, perhaps, a company like Borealis
could have done more.
00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:04,240
I thought it was shocking that they had
received a text message in May
00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:08,080
from a concerned citizen,
who pointed out to them
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that the labour conditions
for a group of Ukrainians employed there
00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,680
weren't all that kosher.
00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,960
Borealis sent a message to that person,
00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,240
not so much out of concern
for the employee,
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but more from the viewpoint
of the impact on their project.
00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:30,800
I thought it was pretty shocking that
they cared more about delays in a project
00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,720
than about a human life
being turned upside down.
00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:39,600
Very nice welding, huh?
00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,680
They were yelled at.
They had to work in unsafe conditions.
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They had to weld in the rain,
which is strictly prohibited.
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All kinds of things happened
that mustn't see the light of day.
00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:56,720
All right...
00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,120
We have some cheese sandwiches.
00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,400
A few with cheese, if you please.
I think it's cheese.
00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:05,160
Chicken, someone?
00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:08,240
Orange juice?
00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,080
Orange juice, if you please.
- Thank you.
00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:14,280
Hi, Hüseyin.
Hi, Hüseyin. Everything okay?
00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,080
This morning, one of the Ukrainian workers
contacted me,
00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:24,160
because IREM asked him
to sign a contract saying:
00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,920
I have no claim.
I don't want any money from IREM any more.
00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:32,120
But he didn't sign. If you sign it,
you cannot ask for anything any more.
00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,120
Same problem.
- Same problem?
00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:43,720
In Belgium, I work with IREM,
but I haven't got a contract.
00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,360
All workers still have
the fake contract.
00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:53,680
Because somebody did sign it,
but it's fake, not me.
00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:59,080
Normally, I worked maybe
more like ten hours a day,
00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:04,680
but in the contract,
they said only five hours.
00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:13,080
When I went to hospital one day,
they cut my salary.
00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,200
They cut three days' pay.
00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:19,520
I felt bad, because they said to me:
It's a punishment.
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We continue this action every day.
00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:33,720
Our agency, Raj Bhar,
called me at night, and then they said:
00:12:33,000
Arman
00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:37,400
Why are you guys doing this?
Why are you talking like this?
00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:41,360
IREM was very, very angry at me,
and they told me so.
00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,880
Then they said: Okay, I will see you.
When you come to Bangladesh, I'll see you.
00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,160
I did not feel safe.
00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,000
When we came here,
we had to spend a lot of money.
00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,200
I paid around 8,000 euros.
00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,000
I took money from other people.
00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,480
So, I have to return this money.
00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,680
Every Bangladeshi who comes here
takes out a loan, with interest.
00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,080
Other people sell their land,
their house...
00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:35,400
Everyone pays.
00:13:35,560 --> 00:13:39,720
This money, also...
Raj Bhar and IREM get it.
00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:53,360
IREM sent a threatening letter:
If you connect us to human trafficking,
00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,680
we'll sue you, as a law firm,
00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:02,160
as well as all journalists, all press,
that report on the case.
00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:06,480
That was a real shock.
00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:10,720
But we're not planning
to let that intimidate us.
00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:13,120
That was clearly the intention.
00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:22,280
No one helps us,
so I have to fight for my rights.
00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,480
It's been almost one month, two months,
and we still don't have anything
00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:31,280
from the government
or from another social service, anybody.
00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,480
These past two months,
it has been impossible to sleep.
00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,080
I'm always thinking:
What will happen to our lives?
00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:45,280
Sometimes my heart goes like that.
There's also too much mental pain.
00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:52,280
Our problem is getting more critical
day by day, you know?
00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,520
But we need to support
our families immediately.
00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,720
Believe me,
we are doing everything in our power,
00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:06,240
but the quickest way to get a solution
will be to keep the pressure high.
00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,800
If we lose the pressure...
- Then the government will slow down.
00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:15,760
No problem.
We are ready to apply pressure again.
00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:20,560
I think we just have to make sure
that the government takes responsibility.
00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,920
Because they really have to.
00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:25,480
Okay.
- Okay?
00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,880
I am angry, because I came for work.
00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,800
And now, I'm still waiting.
00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:47,520
My parents feel bad, because they want
to see me have a good future.
00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:49,920
But it's not going well.
00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:58,360
The Turkish trade union shared our videos,
showing that we have a strike here.
00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:02,640
I'm upset and angry,
because we can't do anything
00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:04,760
and have to stay at home.
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,800
Day by day, you get nervous and angry,
you know.
00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,280
You don't know what's going
to happen to you here.
00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:14,200
I don't know.
We'll fight for our rights.
00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,640
Let's see what happens.
So... yeah.
00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,840
Some guys don't want to continue,
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,640
because they were also upset
about the situation.
00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,360
They were down, you know?
Mentally down.
00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,760
So, they want to have a quick solution.
00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:52,680
So, sometimes we discussed that
with one another: what we can do.
00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,480
Maybe we can continue, or maybe not.
00:16:55,640 --> 00:17:01,760
We know that you are all tired
and that it's not easy to keep fighting,
00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:06,480
but we feel that it's coming
closer and closer.
00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,360
There will be a good result.
00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:14,400
So, we would like you
to take a decision now, as a group,
00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,840
about: do we continue the actions?
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,240
We were very unsure
what the vote would yield.
00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,960
It makes sense
that they're very depressed.
00:17:24,120 --> 00:17:28,640
So then it's actually
moving into unknown territory.
00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,520
Those who will continue the fight,
please raise your hand.
00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,520
More pressure and more fighting.
Everyone wants to continue.
00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,280
They always try
to pit them against each other.
00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,240
At the work site, they all had
different wage and labour conditions.
00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:54,880
That was nice about the vote: they won't
let them pit them against each other.
00:18:00,000
WEEK 3
00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,840
Everybody has to be on the train.
If not, we'll be too late.
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,400
We can't miss it, so everybody...
- Jump?
00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,080
We didn't hear much at all
from the people in power.
00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,240
The people demonstrated,
but there was no response.
00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,720
So, we decided to take it up a notch
and go to Brussels,
00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:36,560
to the cabinet
of the Flemish Government.
00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:41,600
We need help.
- Don't forget us.
00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,480
We need help.
- Don't forget us.
00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,120
We need help.
- Don't forget us.
00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:57,000
We won't stop.
- Solution now.
00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,680
We won't stop.
- Solution now.
00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:07,600
We keep hammering on this:
we want everyone to get help.
00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:12,280
These are qualified individuals,
and they want to work as soon as possible.
00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:14,040
21st-century slavery
00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:18,880
The Turkish people
are still staying in the flats
00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:23,920
their employer rented for them,
and they can't stay there any more.
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,760
They might be evicted at any moment
00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,480
and that's a very difficult situation
for them, of course.
00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,200
It's vital that these people
spoke to the press,
00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:39,640
so everyone could see who this is about.
It's about Arman, Hüseyin,
00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,360
a welder, a pipe fitter,
real people who just want to work
00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,640
and ended up in a situation
they did not choose to be in.
00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,480
I get that they took to the streets,
00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,160
because they had to draw attention
to their case.
00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:03,680
I think that was really necessary,
to let their voice be heard
00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,640
and find a solution to their problem.
00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,560
I especially think that Crevits's office
could have acted faster.
00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:16,600
I think that politicians ultimately found
a solution, but it took a long time,
00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:20,760
and apparently they forgot
that this was about people.
00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,840
They let time go by,
and those people were in their flats,
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,840
still staring at the wall,
with stress, fear and so on.
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:33,560
And that is not what a victim
of economic exploitation should experience
00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,040
in a Western European country like ours.
00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:41,200
After three weeks of demonstrations,
there's a political agreement.
00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:44,920
Payoke starts up the procedure
to take in the Bengali group.
00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,760
The Turkish group must wait.
They are given the option
00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,880
to request a new work permit,
so that they can work.
00:20:57,800 --> 00:20:59,200
Hello.
00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:04,760
If you demonstrate and fight,
at some point, you must say:
00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:09,200
This is a result we've achieved.
Let's celebrate it and be happy with it.
00:21:09,360 --> 00:21:12,160
Then we'll look at what to do next.
00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:18,040
On Sunday, SolidariTeams invited us
to go to dinner with them.
00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,640
And then all of us together
heard the news, so we're happy.
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:24,320
Good. Very good.
00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:29,160
Our lawyer told us: In a couple of weeks,
00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:31,840
you're going to get a work permit.
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:33,920
So, that was good news.
00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:39,440
It's better to have something,
so you can start building your life.
00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:41,360
You look very handsome.
00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:42,680
Me?
- Yes.
00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:44,720
It's just a simple shirt...
00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:03,280
It's a celebration
00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:07,200
of these last two months' journey...
hard journey.
00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:09,320
Say 'hi'. Hi...
00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:21,040
I hope I'll feel better now,
because now I have a solution.
00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:26,560
Everyone's face, when I look, is smiling.
For the last two months, nobody smiled.
00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:31,480
We feel it's a victory,
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,840
because now we can work.
00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:43,840
I feel good,
because my future is in my hands.
00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,400
It's in my hands now.
00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:57,240
Friends, tonight we are here together
to share a meal
00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,680
and because we share
a battle, a fight.
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,000
The situation that arose
with Borealis and IREM
00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:08,760
is the biggest case of human trafficking
and economic exploitation in Belgium,
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:10,960
and probably in Europe as well,
00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,480
but your fight was also
the first of its kind.
00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:19,000
Just because there's a huge exploitation
situation doesn't mean people fight.
00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:24,400
But you took up the gauntlet and fought,
and that's very impressive.
00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:32,640
I hope, little by little,
our future starts looking good.
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:38,640
Because without work, it's not possible
to achieve your future and your dream.
00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:46,480
I hope this history never repeats itself.
00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:55,800
It doesn't stop here. We will also
continue fighting IREM and Borealis,
00:23:55,960 --> 00:24:00,280
to ensure that the wages,
everything you worked for,
00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,080
are paid properly.
00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:06,760
And if we want to win that fight,
the most important thing
00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:11,440
is to celebrate, today,
the victory we achieved
00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:15,720
and to maintain the unity
that got you this far.
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:28,360
Now we focussed
on the acute needs: safe housing,
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:32,640
an end to the threats
and a permit allowing them to work.
00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:35,360
But there are more steps to be taken.
00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:40,280
Those people were underpaid
and must receive their rightful wages.
00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,600
But it's vital to change
the legislative framework,
00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,480
so that such things can't happen any more.
00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:54,080
I think the Borealis case
certainly is a unique case,
00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:57,400
in that it's the first time
so many victims have been found
00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,320
being economically exploited
in our country.
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:05,360
On the other hand, I think there are
many things that don't come to light,
00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,680
and this is officially the biggest case,
00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:13,480
but there may be much bigger cases
we don't know about at all.
00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:19,520
The labour market is becoming
more flexible now.
00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:23,160
An in-between category
is increasingly emerging,
00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:26,240
a category of people
who are actually being exploited,
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,360
in e-commerce, food delivery
and so on, as well.
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:37,880
We really need to shift to regulations
that are clear and that say:
00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:42,160
Look, as a company,
we have a responsibility
00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:46,840
towards all of those who work for us,
all of those sub-sub-subcontractors
00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,360
and the people who work
for the subcontractors.
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,120
This is the only possible way
00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:56,680
to efficiently fight modern slavery.
00:25:58,000
- CLOSING CREDITS -
A film by Docwerkers
Hüseyin
Afrose
Medet
Arman
Mieke Van Laer
Jan Buelens
Luc Cortebeeck
David Van Turnhout
Written and directed by
Pieter De Vos
Assistant director
Leslie Verbeeck
Camera
Pieter De Vos
Laurens Van Hove
Pieter Claessens
Leslie Verbeeck
Editing
Emilie Van Peer
Leslie Verbeeck
Audio mixing
Kraakhelder
Color grading
Fran Verveckken
Title and poster design
Mario Debaene
Voice Over
Abbie Boutkabout
Music
Artlist
Motionarray
Subtitles
Piet Demeulemeester
Archival footage
Luc Cortebeeck
‘The Workers Cup’ CC-BY Lab Buster Keaton
Special Thanks
all Turkish and Bangladeshi workers who participated in the film
Bayram, Shayla, Meltem, Laura, Ico, Katrien, Lies, Sam, Vic and
Frida
Hanna, Nico, Anke, Elina and Nolan
Progress Lawyers, Gazet Van Antwerpen
C / CC-BY-NC-ND Docwerkers 2022