possibly available to other foreigners. Foreign nationals can usually choose to return to the country of origin where, as nationals, they have certain prerogatives. Stateless persons often do not have such possibility since they are not considered nationals anywhere. Where the interviewed persons were detained for the purpose of administrative expulsion, they often had to be released after the expiry of the maximum detention period because the expulsion could not be carried out. They, thus, continued living in the Czech Republic. After some time spent in detention, they were usually bound to start working without the relevant work permit to sustain themselves and the whole process started again. Therefore, a sudden deprivation of liberty usually meant a loss of the current job and, hence, source of livelihood. Upon release from detention, they had to find new opportunities which was hard, especially in the first weeks. The interviewed stateless persons have repeatedly described the pitfalls of irregular work in unstable and disadvantaged conditions. The lack of documentation and the absence of a legal status made them prone to exploitation. Considering their vulnerable position, they often mentioned violation of their rights and various forms of exploitation by their employers. These included lower wages, unpaid salaries, working in hazardous conditions without proper safety and protection measures or forced overtime work. The interviews also showed that the frequent absence of identity documents and the overall social and economic marginalisation meant that stateless persons were, in principle, unable to defend their rights and go to courts or other authorities if an employer had committed an unlawful act. The interviewed persons had no belief that there were any means of legal protection available to them. « Participant: Last time I worked for one man I should have earned 7,000 Czech crowns but he gave me nothing … Interviewer: So it sometimes happens that you don’t get paid? Participant: It happened to me several times. Last time, 7,000 Czech crowns. Interviewer: Do you think you can defend yourself? Participant: No, I cannot do anything. What can I do? Complain? And this is not the first time. I got used to it. « Participant: Sometimes at work they are pressuring me, a lot. I simply can’t stand it. You know, I have my limit, when they are pressuring me, I simply can’t stand it anymore. (…) When you are doing ‘black contracts’, people are pressuring you much more. “ Interviewer: Do you mean that you are subject to worse conditions? Participant: Well, I do not have any conditions. One interviewed person, who had to provide for several members of his family, tried to assert his right to be paid for the performed work by unlawful means, which resulted in his criminal prosecution and further deterioration of his situation. The stateless persons working irregularly are, according to the interviews, often left with physically demanding work with an increased risk of injury. The interviewed persons described the consequences of such work including exhaustion, chronic health problems and other risks to their health. « 40 I perform physical work. Sometimes on constructions, very hard work. Everything hurts me. Sometimes I cannot sleep at night because I keep waking up. Imagine you are so tired that you cannot sleep. (…) My back hurts, very much, my knees hurt, also very much. (…) I am taking Ibalgin [note: a painkiller drug], every week I need at least one box. I live on Ibalgin. (…) I wake up at least twice every night. Sometimes I wake up from teeth pain or knee pain. You see, terrible … My back hurts enormously.” Faces of Statelessness in the Czech Republic