Seven-day weeks and ‘debt bondage’: China’s first electric car plant in Europe mired in allegations of worker abuse

Construction work under way on the BYD factory at Szeged, Hungary, where the Chinese auto manufacturer plans to produce 300,000 cars a year. Photograph: Zsuzsa Darab/The Guardian

Multilingual signs in most airports in the EU opt for English, but in Hungary, there is also Chinese, making it easy for migrant workers flying in to staff China’s first electric car plant in Europe – due to open in 2027.

The third language was introduced in 2019 as the recently ousted leader Viktor Orbán embarked on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with China, positioning himself as its most reliable friend in Europe.