Mines are largely run by armed and violent criminal groups, and research shows evidence that officials from the Government of Venezuela, including members of security forces and local authorities, have colluded with and allowed members of non-state armed groups to commit human rights violations and labor abuses. There are reports that mostly girls as young as 11 are forced to produce garments in Thailand. Out of the estimated 1,426 child laborers who produce leather, about 580 are 12-14 years old and 846 are 15-17 years old. Children are also trafficked from around the country to work on cotton farms in Houet and Tuy provinces. Families working on tobacco estates sometimes become bonded to their landlords, and their children are forced to work to repay their family debts. Of the 49,390 child laborers working in fishing, 19,629 children worked in fishing for more than 42 hours a week. "We also meet or exceed international standards, such as those found in the Responsible Business Alliance Code of Conduct; conduct regular independent audits of our suppliers; provide remediation where we find issues; and report our performance transparently.". Gap issued the following statement in 2020: "At Gap Inc., we have strict policies against the use of involuntary labor of any kind in our supply chain. Approximately 4,912 of child laborers growing sweet potatoes are below the minimum age for employment in Paraguay. According to reports from the media and government raids, 5,000 children from Nigeria and Benin are working in forced gravel production in Nigeria. There are reports that children ages 3 to 17 produce mica in Madagascar, primarily in the southern provinces of Androy, Anosy, and Ihorombe. Approximately 4,879 child laborers growing watermelons are under the minimum age for employment in Paraguay. ol{list-style-type: decimal;} Workers also report finding themselves in overcrowded and unsanitary housing facilities with no access to potable water, latrines, electricity, and medical care. Based on an analysis of the survey, an estimated 2,936 child laborers cultivate bananas. Active 10. Recent reports suggest that forced child labor has shifted from factories to home-based production and from urban to suburban areas, particularly in southern India. Some children are also forced to work under threat of physical violence and wage deductions. Children use their bare hands and tools to dig for gold in tunnels hundreds of meters below ground, without any protective equipment. Da Wei Chemical Factory. Children of migrants, refugees, and impoverished families are particularly vulnerable to this practice. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Ecuadors commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Fashion brands include Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Gap, H&M, L.L. Many of these children work long hours carrying heavy loads, are exposed to extreme temperatures, and lack access to potable water and toilet facilities. The .gov means its official. Children, primarily boys, quarry and break stone in 3 of the 4 regions of Uganda. There are numerous health and safety issues associated with the textile industry. The video game brand is not directly using labor from these camps, but it has ostensibly used parts sourced by these places for video game hardware manufacturing. .agency-blurb-container .agency_blurb.background--light { padding: 0; } Of the estimated 6,049 child laborers who produce textiles, about 448 are 5-11 years old, 2,147 are 12-14 years old, and 3,454 are 15-17 years old. According to international organizations, NGOs, and media reports, child labor in the Cambodian sugarcane sector is a widespread concern, with numerous incidents reported across the country, including reports of hundreds of children cutting cane on plantations in the Koh Kong province. An analysis of the Pakistan Labour Force Survey 20172018 considers all work performed by children under age 14 to be child labor. Most cobalt-producing mines in the DRC are owned or financed by Chinese companies. Major solar companies including GCL-Poly, East Hope Group, Daqo New Energy, Xinte Energy and Jinko Solar are named in the report as bearing signs of using some forced labor, according to. There are reports that children ages 5 to 17 work in the production of rice in Ecuador. Regarding the XUAR, Bosch does not mine, produce or manufacture products in that region. The National Child Labor Survey also indicates that an estimated 15,720 child laborers are involved in the production, processing, and preservation of fish and fish products. Withhold Release Orders and Findings List, Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, Importing Freedom: Using the U.S. The families receive little payment if any, and lodging and food expenses are deducted from their paychecks. Children engaged in aa berry harvesting not only are required to scale very tall trees, but they also lack proper protective equipment, transport large knives with serrated blades in the back of their shorts, and are exposed to hot climate conditions and environments that include venomous insects and other dangerous animals. Siemens has no manufacturing facilities in the Xinjiang province and does not produce there. The manufacturing industry is also driven by competitive workers because of low-profit margins. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 grow tobacco in Vietnam. The polysilicon manufacturers work with the Chinese government to make use of ethnic minority groups for exploitative labor, often receiving financial incentives. Reports and field research indicate that children are seen as extremely valuable to the harvest due to their physical stature and natural agility, qualities that allow them to climb the aa berry trees tall and thin trunks more easily without the trees breaking. Evidence of forced and bonded labor has been found in the Assam state. Quarry owners withhold workers wages as repayment for this debt, which in turn continuously accumulates due to compound interest and additional expenses. Some children receive threats regarding exams, grades, and even expulsion from school for refusal to work. Children from low-income families in the Polesia region of western Ukraine, including in Rivne, Volyn, and Zhytomyr Oblasts, are particularly vulnerable to involvement in amber extraction. These students are required to pick daily quotas of cotton or pay fines, and performance in the cotton harvest is assessed for the students' promotion to higher grade levels. There are reports that children ages 6-17 are forced to produce cotton in Benin. There are reports that children from within Cte d'Ivoire, as well as migrant children from Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, and Togo, are working under conditions of forced labor on Ivoirian cocoa farms. Accidents from quarrying stone have resulted in loss of limbs, broken spinal cords, and loss of sight. In addition, according to the ILO, academics, NGOs, local government officials, and the U.S. Department of State, numerous incidents of child labor have been reported in sand production across the country. They are intended to help front-line criminal law enforcement officials, inspectors, trade union officers, NGO workers, and others to identify persons who are possibly trapped in a forced labor situation, and who may require urgent assistance. Based on an analysis of the survey, it is estimated that 81,375 child laborers produce dairy products. Childrens tasks include operating pressurized-water machinery to separate tin from other materials, digging in the earth to find tin deposits, and panning for tin in bodies of water where children are exposed to extreme weather conditions and are at risk of drowning. Most children do not receive payment for their work. The survey considers a working child to be engaged in child labor if the child is below the minimum age for employment of 14 or the child is performing work that is hazardous according to national legislation. Some have called the treatment a genocide. The survey indicates that more boys than girls are engaged in child labor producing yerba mate. According to the survey, almost 13 percent of Paraguayan children engaged in child labor in agriculture do not attend school. Based on an analysis of the Government of Brazils 2015 National Household Survey, an estimated 5,503 child laborers cultivate sugarcane. This work exposes children to severe health and safety hazards, including drowning, injury, and water-borne disease. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Abercrombie & Fitch, adidas, Amazon, BMW, Gap, H&M, Inditex, Marks & Spencer, Nike, North Face, Puma, PVH, Samsung and UNIQLO to respond; their responses are provided. Based on the analysis of Ecuadors 2019 National Survey of Employment, Unemployment, and Underemployment, an estimated 10,564 children under the minimum age for work are involved in child labor in bovine raising. According to NGOs, forced child labor in brick production is pervasive, particularly in Northern Rakhine State and near military camps. April 16, 2021 at 5:00 am. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 raise hogs in Paraguay. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Paraguays commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. There are reports that children ages 5-17 in Ghana are forced to work in the fishing industry, assisting primarily in the catching of tilapia, but also of such fish as mudfish, silverfish, catfish, latefish, and electric fish. The survey estimates that 301,827 children ages 5 to 17 perform hazardous work in rural areas of Paraguay and indicates that children working in agriculture experience accidents and illnesses, including from using dangerous tools and handling chemicals. Some workers who work with hazardous pesticides and fertilizers are not provided with personal protective equipment, and they experience health problems and increased risks of injury from exposure to dangerous chemicals. There are reports that adults are forced to work in the production of fish on Taiwans distant-water fishing fleet. We hate spam too, unless it's on a sandwich with some eggs. According to an ILO study, over 1,000 families work in bonded labor in rice mills in one district of Tamil Nadu. The survey estimates that 301,827 children ages 5 to 17 perform hazardous work in rural areas of Paraguay and indicates that children working in agriculture experience accidents and illnesses, including from using dangerous tools and handling chemicals. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Pakistans commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgment that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. The survey indicates that the majority of children and adolescents working in garment manufacturing are in Puebla and Guanajuato states. Some children are forced to work at the mines with their families in situations of bonded labor, while other children are sent away to the mines by their parents to pay off the family's debt. In a report issued in March, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, listed Nike and Coca-Cola as companies suspected of ties to forced labor in. There are reports that children in Malawi are forced to work producing tobacco. There are reports of child labor in the production of bricks in various parts of the country, including Tehran, Shahr-e Rey, and Gorgan. The brick industry uses a system of bonded labor under which children, from a very young age, often work alongside their debt-bonded families. The 2020 Australian Strategic Policy Institute report identified Uniqlo among the companies that could have directly or indirectly benefited from forced labor in China. The survey indicates that more boys than girls are engaged in child labor producing tomatoes. Some children are forced to work under threat of physical violence. In some cases, child workers are paid little, if at all, and their wages are deducted to repay debts related to recruitment, food, and/or lodging. Some of these children are forced to work as a guarantee for loans to their parents. Boys work in dangerous conditions in the mines, collecting soil from deep, open pits. CBP Modifies Forced Labor Finding on Sime Darby Plantation Berhad. An NGO study documents children, as well as adults, forced by the military to work on rotation year round, planting and harvesting beans for the military camp. Children are involved in the harvesting season from August until January each year, alongside their families. The Government of Brazils 2015 National Household Survey considers all work performed by children below age 14 to be child labor. Per our policies, forced labor is considered a zero-tolerance issue.". The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Paraguays commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. In 2020, the company said it would "cease all business relationships with any factories and mills that produce garments or fabric, or use cotton grown, in Xinjiang within the next 12 months.". CBP implementsSection 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. Brazilian law prohibits all children under age 18 from producing sugarcane. The children are forced to work, without pay, in hazardous conditions underground in the mines for excessively long hours. Children working on farms producing sugarcane perform tasks related to irrigation, the cutting of sugarcane, and guarding crops. Most factories that produce zari, a type of embroidery, are concentrated in Mumbai and Delhi, but many children are trafficked from other locations such as Bihar. An NGO study reports that villagers, including children, from multiple villages are regularly mobilized by the military for forced labor to cultivate teak and other crops. This code is the basis for supplier selection and qualification. According to media reports and local government officials, child labor is systemic in the illegal amber extraction industry and is a growing problem. Some children are abducted to work in the mines. Further, workers in these factories can be subject to regular government propaganda, extremely long hours, and little to no pay. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Brazils commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Perpetrators typically misrepresent the business, giving workers false information regarding working conditions, benefits, and wages. The company did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Factory owners often recruit certain boys to work on one- or two-year contracts, paying an advance to their parents for the boys' labor. On the other hand, they are showing their image of the Eco-friendly brand but still, child labor is being used in bulk. It is widely reported that palm oil harvesters daily targets, which are set by companies, are unachievable within a 7-hour workday, compelling workers to work several hours beyond what the law permits without overtime pay because they fear steep deductions in wages if they do not meet their targets. The ILO has found that generally, children who work in agriculture may be at risk of exposure to hazards including working long hours, carrying heavy loads, using dangerous tools, exposure to the elements, physical injuries, and chemicals, such as pesticides. Boys are also trafficked from Burkina Faso to produce rice in Mali. The survey indicates that more boys than girls are engaged in child labor in goat raising. Based on an analysis of the survey, an estimated 65,775 child laborers raise poultry. What makes this industry so viable is the growth it feeds to the economy. Based on the most recently available data from NGOs, up to 100,000 children throughout the country are being forced to produce garments. According to international organizations, NGOs, and media sources, there is credible evidence that the use of child labor is common in footwear production, including in major production areas such as Gaziantep and Istanbul. Some children are lured by traffickers with false promises about working conditions or terms. The children are forced to work under extreme, sometimes fatal, conditions. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Ecuadors commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Approximately 4,714 child laborers raising goats are below the minimum age for employment in Paraguay. There are reports that children ages 5-17 are forced to work in the production of coltan, or tantalum ore, in some mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The survey estimates that 17,670 child laborers grow sesame throughout rural areas in Paraguay. FACT SHEET: New U.S. Government Actions on Forced Labor in The survey estimates that 8,584 child laborers raise goats throughout rural areas in Paraguay. Victim testimonies, news media, and think tanks report that factories, including for gloves, frequently engage in coercive recruitment; limit workers freedom of movement and communication; and subject workers to constant surveillance, retribution for religious beliefs, exclusion from community and social life, and isolation. There is evidence that children ages 8 to 17 raise bovines in Eswatini. Sandstone quarry workers are highly vulnerable to silicosis, a fatal lung disease caused by breathing the dust produced by drilling or breaking quartz-rich rocks. ft California bus production facility, where hundreds are employed with good union jobs and protections. The report added that it found evidence of third-party Amazon sellers listing products containing Xinjiang cotton, which has been banned from US imports since September 2020. We have to be willing to protect those who are exploited through labor trafficking. CBP Modifies Forced Labor Finding on Top Glove Corporation Bhd. The UFLPArebuttable presumption went into effect on June 21, 2022. In many cases, children drop out of school to work at gold mining sites. Based on an analysis of the survey, it is estimated that 31,516 child laborers raise bovines. For example, one human rights organization reports that thousands of school children extract amber, and that their labor is essential to the amber industry. The ILO has found that generally children who care for farm animals may be at risk of exposure to potential health consequences, including infections from animal bites and exposure to harmful bacteria. We have confirmed this transition of suppliers, and will continue to monitor their labor practices on an ongoing basis. According to a 2014 ILO sectoral survey on child labor in informal tin mining, published in 2015, an estimated 6,300 children are engaged in child labor in tin mining. Evidence of child labor has been found in the city of Abaetuba, a major center for aa berry production, in the State of Par. Some children state that teachers withhold wages for tuition and management fees. On the outside, it may appear harmless and like a small fraction of pleasure, but the reality is that many hostesses and dancers of this business are coerced to fulfill a job that dehumanizes and exploits their personal being.