FRANET: Severe labour exploitation – migrant workers’ perspectives (SELEX II)

The aim of SELEX II is to disclose evidence – in eight EU Member States – about the specific experiences, views and needs of migrant workers who have experienced (severe) labour exploitation. The project builds on the perspectives, experiences and needs of migrant workers experiencing labor exploitation, which is the added value of this project.

SELEX II complements SELEX I by extending the scope of the research beyond professional groups that deal with labour exploitation to cover interviews and focus group discussions with migrant workers themselves concerning their experiences. SELEX II contributes to further developing evidence base from the rights holder’s perspective and thus helps to fill a significant gap in knowledge about the actual experiences of migrant workers. This research is essential in enabling policy-makers, legislators and those on the frontline of combatting labour exploitation to better understand the experiences and needs of foreign workers who experience severe labour exploitation.

Fieldwork for SELEX II was carried out in eight EU Member States – Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom. In each country 20 individual interviews were conducted with migrant workers (both from within the EU and from third countries), who themselves experiences (severe) labour exploitation. Furthermore, two focus group discussions were implemented focusing on support needed and on possible ways forward in order to prevent and more effectively combat severe labour exploitation.

SELEX II was initiated, conceptualized and commissioned by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the fieldwork was carried out by members of FRANET in the eight EU Member States. Based on the eight country reports and the data collected, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental an Human Rights (LBI-GMR) develops two fact sheets, one of which focuses on domestic workers, a focus paper and an analytical report to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. The results are expected to provide evidence towards an understanding of what works and what does not work regarding policies and practices to prevent and respond to severe labour exploitation in the EU from the victims’ perspective. The research targets EU institutions and Member States, which are expected to take measures to combat severe labour exploitation and to support and promote the rights of migrant workers as well as their access to justice. SELEX II is conducted in the context of FRANET.