In its Sunday edition, Morgunbladid interviews Xing Haiou, a Chinese citizen who was employed as a masseur at a massage parlor in Iceland several years ago.
After arriving in Iceland from China, Xing Haiou was kept as an indentured servant at the parlor and forced to work long hours seven days a week the whole year around. He was paid ISK 10 thousand a month or approximately EUR 100 at today’s exchange rates.
“We rarely left our quarters, we didn’t have time, so we felt as if we were in a prison. And we were threatened to keep under control,” said Xing Haiou to Morgunbladid.
Xing Haiou escaped from his employer, together with two of his colleagues, and sought help at the International House in Reykjavík.
Earlier this year, the District Court of Reykjavík awarded Xing Haiou ISK 5 million in withheld pay.
Morgunbladid quoted the political adviser of the Minister of Social Affairs, Saeunn Stefánsdóttir, saying that cases such as Xing Haiou’s are rare. “We will not tolerate this type of treatment of people,” she said.
