INAR - Irish Network Against Racism
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07/04/2026
Vasantkumar Barot thought about su***de daily when he was at his lowest point while working for just €1.61 an hour at a Louth restaurant.
He felt trapped.
The migrant worker (42) had to borrow from friends and family to cover his living expenses after selling his house in India to help cover a €15,000 payment for a work permit and the promise of a good job.
Flights were unaffordable, so he has not seen his wife or daughter for four years.
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has ordered the owner of a chain of Indian restaurants to pay him €79,214 compensation.
The WRC heard that he was paid as little as €1.61 an hour and worked over 90 hours a week.
After all he has been through, Mr Barot has said he is happy with the award.
“Yeah, it’s good,” he said. “I’m happy about this decision. I didn’t take the case just for money. It’s because that time, I was like, every day, I was crying.
“That time was very hard for me, that one year, two years. Every day I was feeling like I might end my life. Every single day. Because I was like, ‘how do I explain how that time was?’.
This video is part of the FRED project – Fostering Racial Equality and Diversity, highlighting the importance of recognising and responding to racism and discrimination.
In partnership with the Centre for Peace Studies and the Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights Osijek, this campaign raises awareness of the impact of discrimination and directs viewers to reporting services available in Croatia.
Together, we are working across Croatia and Ireland to strengthen responses to racism and build a more equal and inclusive society.
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