More than 6 percent of non-EU foreigners living in Slovakia, mainly those originating from Africa and/or Muslims, have had some experience with physical violence because they are different, according to a survey carried out by the International Organisation for Migration. The survey presented on Thursday also stated that 11 percent of foreigners have experienced forced labour; while as many as 31 percent of Ukrainians claim to have undergone this.
"As a key problem we identified the social isolation of migrants - be they as individuals or communities. This means that when facing problems, but also in every-day situations, migrants tend to approach informal sources, which lead to further abuses, mainly when it comes to the most vulnerable," said Matej Blazek, one of the authors of the survey. Among the most vulnerable groups are migrants from Ukraine, followed by Vietnamese, Chinese and women from Thailand. Two-thirds of the foreigners approached said that they feel secure in Slovakia, but when it comes to migrants from East and South-East Asia, the figure is less than 50 percent.
George Christopher
