Portugal - Modern slavery for an EU passport | DW Documentary

As a portuguese living near the area where that is happening is really upset to see how locals mistreat and under pay people working so hard, sad as it is , its Portugal , not only foreigners are being underpaid .. We all are.. Its a Paradise of fake dreams .

Slavery wasn't abolished. Just changed its form. Got upgraded to modern times

Thank you DW for covering my country's issues.

It’s ironic. Over fifty years ago, Portuguese citizens like my parents escaped Portugal to find economic prosperity in North America. They too worked in harsh conditions, leaving their children behind in order to improve their financial situation. In time, as their prospects improved, families were reunited and the next generation benefitted from all the sacrifices. Poverty creates the same trend in every generation.

Just when you think that you're having a rough day, imagine what it's like to be one of these workers.

18:20 "They'll need more workers too, for jobs Portuguese people don't want to do" - he's trying to say the locals are too lazy to work in agriculture. What he actually means is "companies prefer hiring immigrants who are abused and paid poorly, so that they can be competitive on the market and have a good profit". It's not slavery if you fire them for not meeting their quota once or if they complain about the long hours and living conditions, as long as you pay them a few euros/hour.

2:29 You should have blurred the numbers and details on his ID, for safety reasons, especially the civil ID number. Please do that.

"We all paid 10000€ to come here". If person makes such sum of money in India, there is no sense to come to Portugal or other European country.

4€ an hour is the minimum wage in Portugal, thats no low cost labor, its normal labor for any Portuguese. ps : for those that dont know math, 4€/h x 8h/day * 22 days = 704€ . food subsidy is not obligated by the companies, minimum wage in Portugal is 665€ without taxes, also in the video, they say they are all in SS and finances, so, they are paying taxes and working legaly like any Portuguese citizen. with this im not defending how they came, what they paid or are paying to be here working, or the company that brought them, or some companies that use them iligally, im stating that they are working legaly with a normal salary in Portugal. this piece should be about the companies that bring them here, thats where the problem is.

I'm portuguese. I've worked for 2,35€/hour not so long ago, as legal job. The problem is, you can augment salary but prices will skyrocket immediately. It's also very convenient to keep Portugal that way because many European countries profit from our cheap labor...

I have an uncle who went to portugal in a similar way , these conditions are better than the gulf but still I personally know many of these companies take passports, don't pay them their wages , don't provide adequate housing and use various forms of threats to them and the family and all this is a form of modern slavery (exemplified by the fear the people exhibit) and that happening in the eu is disheartening

As an Indian, I really feel bad for these workers who come to Europe in search of a life better than what they have back home but it seems that the grass is as bad on the other side. Living for years away from their family and children for a pittance is such a tragedy. Great documentary, DW!!

Why is this bad? These people are working legally, are paying taxes and social security, seems like a far better deal than crossing an desert with literal cartel sicarios. But what do I know right

4 an hour matches closely the minimum wage Portuguese receive + the government gives citizenship. If anything, this video shows Portugal has a greater respect for immigrants than the richer countries.

I like how the guy at 9:48 has Badoo installed on his phone while calling with his wife and kid back in home

As a portuguese Im really sad to hear this. Theres so many stories about the horrible conditions. I personally have meet people from nepal and India working in this industry and they go months without payments and living in metal boxes. As per the amount paid, 4€/hour is more then the minimal wage, but I know that half of it is cut because of accommodations and food, since most of the bosses provided those, although under curious conditions. I have nothing against people going for another country to seek work and a better life. But it reach a point where is to much and our government doesn't see that. Instead of making laws and regulations so Portuguese work force can stay in our country, they put harsher conditions and taxes on us. So the only way is to seek work force somewhere else. Theres more to this then meets the eye. Lawyer firms also make a huge profit doing business with the agencies. I personally have friends who work as a lawyers that helps get all the paper work done. The thing is there dozens of thousands of people here that don't speak the language, have no connection to the culture or want to be integrated some how, and I honestly don't know what the future holds. Sad thing this is all due to the European market, spealy in central and northern Europe, that cant grow nothing.

At least they all are apparently much better treated than in South Italy which modern slavery is beyond inhuman in the hard work of picking tomoatoes.

Thank you DW for the diligent work in covering this issues!

I'm grateful that I was born in a country that joined the EU 5 years after I was born. I am grateful that I don't have to suffer war or inhumane work conditions, and I think it's my responsibility to donate money to organizations that help people in such a predicament. Greetings from Poland

Nothing but respect for these men who give up everything to give a better life to their families