June 23rd 2025; featured on Tednik at RTVSLO 1.
In Monday’s news show Tednik on the first program of Television Slovenia, a segment was prepared titled Expensive or Valuable Foreigners. Journalist Anka Pirš also visited the premises of the Intercultural Dialogue Association. She invited MKD representative Furkan Guner for an interview, along with three other migrants who shared their experiences about the labor market situation for foreigners: Sally Hafez, Mohamed Alburai, and Ghaida Ayoub.
The news piece followed the recent International Refugee Day. Although not all the interviewees on the programme were refugees, the journalist presented different stories of migrants who had to rebuild their lives in Slovenia. Due to wars, climate change, or poor economic conditions, millions of people must seek a better life elsewhere than at home.
The European Union has been implementing an increasingly restrictive asylum policy lately. On one hand, it emphasizes the shortage of labor, while on the other hand, numerous controversial practices in the employment of foreigners are emerging. The article raises the question: Are refugees, immigrants, migrants a cost, a tool for making profits, or equal members of our society?
MKD representative Furkan Guner stated that he does not see himself as a cost to the state of Slovenia. He says he wants to contribute as much as possible. He highlighted the problem of highly educated foreigners who cannot work in their profession in Slovenia due to language and other systemic limitations.
Ognjen Radivojević from the Slovene Philanthropy and Ana Samobor from the Society Ključ also made their statements for the programme. They emphasized the systemic issues related to work permits and residence permits and the plight of foreigners who are forced to enter into employment contracts where they are exploited by employers.
You can watch the entire video segment below or HERE.
