SAEDNEWS: Unnoticed and overworked, undocumented workers play a vital role during the Paris Olympics preparations, with their contributions shaping the event's grandeur.
SAEDNEWS: Illegal immigrants are working behind the scenes to build grand structures for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, toiling for less than minimum wage. These workers, mainly from North Africa, are exploited by intermediary companies in the construction sector, receiving meager wages and facing harsh conditions without legal protections.
Imed, a Tunisian worker, shared how the system operates through the misuse of professional cards and fake contracts to evade scrutiny and underpay workers. Workers like Imed struggle to regularize their status and are often exploited by fellow Africans facilitating fraudulent activities.
The exploitative cycle within the construction sector in France involves French entities hiring Arab-run subcontracting companies, aware of the exploitation but remaining distant to avoid legal responsibility. Workers like Lamine, a Sudanese immigrant, endure grueling hours and harsh conditions while receiving minimal pay and facing housing insecurity.
Despite legal provisions to protect immigrants from exploitation, awareness remains scarce among workers like Lamine and others like him. They continue to face uncertainty, fear, and distrust toward authorities in the face of rising hostility and right-wing ideologies in France.
The dream of Europe's grandeur has turned into a nightmare for these young men, who find themselves caught in illegal and exploitative practices while contributing invisibly to the grand preparations for the Olympics. Their sacrifices and struggles remain hidden behind the glamorous facade of the games, reflecting the harsh reality faced by many undocumented workers in France.
