BWI report exposes exploitation of Vietnamese and Indian workers in Serbian construction
The report highlights the plight of Vietnamese workers who, having borrowed significant sums to work in Serbia, were subjected to inhumane treatment. Their living quarters lacked proper sanitation and heating, and they were denied medical assistance for injuries, which were often covered up by Chinese managers. Despite these extreme conditions, Serbian authorities have largely failed to take substantial actions to address these human rights violations, leading to international outrage and demands for justice.
Similarly, recently Indian workers faced in the same construction site severe exploitation after the departure of the Vietnamese workforce. Borrowing large amounts of money to come to Serbia, they encountered forced labor, physical abuse, and withheld wages. One incident involved Linglong managers violently evicting Indian workers without returning their passports or paying their dues.
BWI, together with its affiliates in Serbia and India, filed an ILO complaint in January 2023 for violation of a number of ILO Conventions Serbia has ratified. The law on changes and additions pertaining to the law on foreigners adopted in July 2023 is not sufficient in addressing the issues foreign workers in Serbia face. The impunity of main contractors and employers, particularly from China, for labour rights violations remains a significant problem. BWI's report calls for immediate regulatory enforcement and stronger protections for foreign workers in Serbia, emphasising the need for systemic change to prevent such abuses in the future. BWI’s efforts, supported by local and international human rights advocates, aim to hold accountable those responsible for these labour violations.