Polina Manolova is a sociologist and activist whose research focuses on intra-EU migration, precarious labor, and the welfare state. She is currently based at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
Germany’s Social Democrats often sound the alarm about the rising far right. It would help if their own elected officials didn’t constantly spread misinformation about migrants stealing from the welfare system.
The death of cleaner Refat Süleyman at a Thyssenkrupp steel plant has put the spotlight on Germany’s exploitation of migrant workers. It’s also a story about deregulation — and how outsourcing is letting corporations cut corners on working conditions with impunity.