Petra left her family behind three years ago in Zmeu, Romania. Although time has passed, her voice still trembles.
“My son had an inguinal hernia, and I borrowed 600 euros [$643] for surgery, medicine and transportation to Iaşi, the hospital city,” she told Al Jazeera.
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To repay her debts, Petra left Zmeu, where she had lived with her nine children.
“Alina, my youngest child, was only six months old when I left her with her older siblings. An aunt who lives nearby occasionally checked on them.”
Petra stops talking, squints her eyes, and starts to cry.
In Romania, at age 47, she was a bricklayer, earning 40 euros ($42) for each room she constructed, taking a week to complete.
“I went with my husband to Italy, where I picked fruits and vegetables for 10 hours a day, receiving a pay of six euros [$6.40] an hour, when I should have earned nine euros [$9.60] an hour,” she said.
An agricultural labourer’s basic wage is set at nine euros gross per hour under the Italian provincial contract. On average, it applies to all of Italy. There is, however, a widespread practice where workers are paid less, mostly migrants but also natives.
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