Nicolas Levi writes in the Daily NK:
North Korea has dispatched dozens of construction workers to Poland, sending them to sites in several cities mainly in the northwest of the country. The total number working in Poland is currently more than fifty. They live under the strict control of Polish-speaking North Korean supervisors.
….
The problem in Poland, as for many of the countries where the North Koreans are to be found, is that there are no legal restrictions or minimum wages, so as long as the North Koreans have work permits there is nothing more their host government can or need do.
Levi goes on to make the case that the unfair labor standards, harsh conditions, and the “peculiar” distribution of wages North Koreans face should be considered a form of human trafficking under EU law.
He’s wrong about the Czech Republic though. In mid-2007, the Czech Government announced that it would not extend or issue any new work visas to North Koreans. So in theory, there should be no North Korean laborers in the Czech Republic. But who knows for sure unless you’re there?
Still, Bertil Lintner raises a good point:
But if they are no longer wanted in the Czech Republic, there are many other countries willing to hire North Koreans – and, as long as Pyongyang needs foreign currency, the export of labor is also likely to continue.
Personally, I am all for prioritizing those who are relatively accessible, specifically refugees. These North Korean laborers might as well be in North Korea – their families are held in de facto ransom. A miniscule percentage of laborers do make it out of the labor camps, but many stay for the “privelege” of serving in a foreign land.
Lastly, it’s important to not dismiss or relavitize the situation of North Korean laborers in foreign territories, as was the case with the now EPIC FAIL of the Kaesong Industrial Complex. First, I would invite anyone who does dismiss to spend some time in the very same working conditions. Second, just because it is “better than starving in North Korea” does not justify the exploitation and perhaps coercion of fellow human beings.
