Why sending overseas North Korean workers home won’t improve human rights | NK News
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September 20, 2026Sep 20, 2026

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Why sending overseas North Korean workers home won’t improve human rights

"Sending these workers back home is not going to improve their lives, or buy us their understanding"

Recent media coverage and human rights campaigns illustrating the conditions of North Korean workers in Europe seem to lead to one conclusion: that we must eliminate this problem instead of exhausting all means with which to improve the workers’ situation.

Reports suggest that Poland and Malta have both ceased to issue new visas for North Korean workers, with many suspecting that those already working in Poland will not be able to extend their visas, meaning they must soon return to the DPRK.

At present, nobody has doubts that the labor conditions of  North Korean workers in Europe do not meet