Masha was unable to make a living with the little money she was earning in Belarus, so she left her small town, Bobrujsk, and came to Warsaw, Poland. Without a work permit or a valid visa, she set up business at the open-air bazaar. She learned from others how to prepare liquor at home by […]

Masha’s husband, Andrei, lives in Bobrujsk, a small town in Belarus. His wife, Masha has been living and working in Poland for a long time. Her long absence has destroyed their marriage and they are now divorced. Their daughter, Sasha, is living with her grandparents. Andrei lives in a “panelak” (prefabricated apartment building) in a […]

This series presents portraits of economic migrants from the Ukraine working in Slovakia. Almost all of the people portrayed are working illegally, and entered Slovakia on tourist visas. After their visas expire, many stay in the Slovak Republic and their residence thus becomes illegal. Their days are routine. Hard labour. Six day a week. Twelve […]

Tamriko’s mother and her two small boys share a small, rundown rented flat in Tbilisi with her sister Nestan, Nestan’s partner Ramaz and their two teenage sons. Several years back, the family had to sell their house to pay off debts. Since then, they have moved from one rented apartment to another. Ramaz, an aircraft […]

The story of Tamriko and Sofia, two Georgian friends who have been living in Poland for over 8 years. Their visas and passports expired a long time ago. They have a small stand at the bazaar in one of Warsaw’s suburbs. The bazaar is illegal, and they live in constant fear of being arrested and […]

The Vietnamese are one of the biggest national minorities in Poland. The majority of Poland’s 30 000 Vietnamese live in Warsaw, where they earn their living mostly by selling clothes and running bars and restaurants. Almost 80% of them are illegal immigrants. The language barrier, Polish intolerance, rigid working and resident laws are the reasons […]

A story of Cameroonian immigrant in Slovenia.