A’s story
“We paid £16,000 to a travel agent for our journey to the UK.
We worked hard at various construction sites for a year. The work was heavy and tedious, and my wife injured her waist and back. She refused to seek medical treatment because both of us were worried about getting deported.”
After a year’s hard work, I was shocked that our employer only paid half of our salaries because we had no legal status. We were very angry and yet helpless. As an illegal worker, I realised I had no position to fight for my benefit.
“We decided to return home in 2020. My job opportunities at home are limited now because I need to take care of my wife. I’m now working in a restaurant in another province.”
My UK work experiences can be summarised here: very long working hours, difficult and tiring work, insecurity, no social life. We gained nothing. Our friends and neighbours would not believe our experiences. They thought we didn’t want to share our contacts.
“It’s not worth working abroad. Money lost and loss of my wife’s health as well. We still owe the £5,500 we borrowed for our journey to the UK.”
