On Friday 14 February 2025, SolidarityNow and Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality and Diversity presented the report “Revealing the Unseen Migrant Workers” at an event attended by representatives of public administration, migrant communities, lawyers and academics.

The discussion highlighted the findings of the research, shedding light on the labor trends and violations faced by migrants and refugees in Greece. Of the 228 respondents in Athens and Thessaloniki, 3 out of 5 report at least one case of labor exploitation despite the fact that more than half of them are employed in formal employment. Single mothers, undocumented migrants and asylum seekers are particularly disadvantaged.

Panelists noted the timeliness of the study, as it not only highlights labor rights violations, but also the vulnerabilities associated with the precariousness of the legal status of migrants and refugees, as well as systemic barriers that deter formal employment. The research includes a series of reform proposals to the relevant institutions to combat exploitation, reduce barriers to employment and ensure the rights of migrants and refugees in the Greek labor market.

The full text of the survey is available here.

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A few words about the program and the research

The program “Revealing the Unseen Migrant Workers”* is being implemented by SolidarityNow and Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality & Diversity. It started in December 2023 with the aim of highlighting precarious working conditions, undeclared work, labor exploitation, as well as the inequalities and discrimination faced by migrant workers in Greece.

*The “Revealing the Unseen Migrant Workers” program will run until September 2025 and is funded by PICUM and the labor rights and migrant workers program of the Robert Bosch Stiftung.