I had a most remarkable experience last night.
For weeks I have heard on occasion news reports about foreigners being brought to the United States with promises of good paying jobs – the sponsoring “agency” providing safe housing and so on. And then these foreign workers get shunted around from what was promised to something less, their “agency” or supervisor keeping their paychecks, the poor guys are basically broke and stranded and at the mercy of their employer/supervisor/agency.
I trust you have heard these stories too right?
Met some last night. Oh yeah. An agency offering employment with good pay and opportunities to learn English and American culture. Pay them something like $1400 in fees. Pay another $1000-2000 for your air tickets. Arrive in America – no one picks you up at the airport like promised (although I did see the fine print) so they shell out more money for taxi and hotel. Then $400 to cover deposit and first month rent on a shared apartment. Good paying job at hotel? No sorry you will work in the kitchen at a fast food restaurant. Forty hours per week with some overtime to make as much as possible during their four months? Nope – they get 32-36 hours per week. Supervisor receives checks, takes out rent, gives rest to these foreign workers. They are hoping – at best – to break even after enduring 4 months of this heck.
They cannot afford cars. Walk to work – 30 minutes each way (often in Louisiana summer heat). Six to seven guys in the apartment. Almost no furniture besides beds. I did not even see much in the way of bedding. (The apartment itself is large, quite nice, and in a relatively safe complex.)
This is pretty bad. (Could be worse… but still this is pretty bad.) Lured to America with a bait and switch. These people shell out gobs of money for either no real return or even a financial loss. “I hate this country” is how one said he feels. Someone is making good money off this. Apparently one finds these operations only in nations with low standards of living – no French or German university students in this program no sir.
These foreign workers do have some freedom. They can quit. If they do… they are then completely on their own (to find new employment, place to live, and so on). And they will never see their last paycheck which the supervisor/agency will keep.
I could name names – of the local business that is employing these foreigners, of the company whose name/letterhead I see on the documents shown to me. Trying to figure out what if anything I can or should do.
