There is evidence that children ages 5 to 14 are involved in the raising of bovines in Ghana. According to local media and NGO reports, thousands of individuals have been subjected to forced labor in the production of palm oil. There are reports that children as young as 7 years old cultivate and harvest poppies in Mexico, especially in impoverished indigenous communities where they work alongside family members. 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. Children perform work at night and engage in hazardous activities, such as using machetes and chasing away wild animals. The 2020 Congressional-Executive Commission on China report named H&M among the companies suspected of having ties to forced labor in Xinjiang. China is the worlds largest producer of solar-grade polysilicon, and over 50 percent of the countrys production takes place in Xinjiang. Workers are either placed at factories within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the camps are located, or transferred out of Xinjiang to factories in eastern China. Children, primarily boys, quarry and break stone in 3 of the 4 regions of Uganda. Perpetrators typically misrepresent the business, giving workers false information regarding working conditions, benefits, and wages. There are reports that children are forced to produce carpets in Nepal. According to the most recently available data from the ILO and NGOs, over 70,000 children work on tobacco plantations, some of them under conditions of bonded labor. Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, and Homeland Security. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. Theyre willing to do the work no one else will and, because of that, companies can more easily take advantage of them. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Mexicos commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgment that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Children are involved in hazardous forms of work, including using pick axes, engaging in work underground, and carrying heavy loads. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. 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. 1. The ILO has found that generally, children who care for farm animals may be at risk of exposure to potential health consequences, including injuries from kicks and infections from animal bites and exposure to harmful bacteria. Once on the farms, some men and women work up to 15 hours per day under the threat of dismissal and receive subminimum wage payments or no payment at all. The survey considers a child to be engaged in child labor if the child is working an excessive number of hours per week for his or her age, or if the child is engaged in work that is prohibited for underage employees according to national legislation. 117-78), also known as the UFLPA, directs the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to develop a strategy for supporting enforcement of the prohibition on the importation of goods into the United States manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China, especially from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region . A study published in 2019 estimated that 10,800 children are involved in mining and sorting mica. Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer Adidas Alstom BAIC Motor BMW Bombardier Bosch BYD Calvin Klein Candy Carter's Cerruti 1881 Changan Automobile Cisco CRRC Electrolux Fila, Founder Group GAC Group (automobiles) Gap Geely Auto General Motors Goertek These children are lured by recruiters or traffickers with false promises of payment or gifts such as a bicycle. Some children are known to be recruited from villages in other parts of Mali to cultivate rice in Niono. Global imports of lithium-ion batteries from China were reported to be over $16.5 billion in 2020. The children are paid little, and deductions are taken from their wages for food and shelter. According to the Government of Vietnams National Child Labor Survey 2012, the results of which were published in 2014, an estimated 24,377 child laborers work in the production of furniture, including beds, wardrobes, chairs, and tables. Polysilicon was added to ILABs List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in 2021 for forced labor. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 are engaged in cattle raising in El Salvador. In 2016, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that 40.3 million people are enslaved across the world. Of the estimated 278,884 child laborers who grow rice, 13.6 percent are 5-11 years old, 19.3 percent are 12-14 years old, and 67.1 percent are 15-17 years old. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 14 are involved in the growing of rice in Ghana. The reason? 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. Imagine pulling up to your job, thinking it will be another normal day at work. Burma. There are reports that children ages 5 to 17 are engaged in collecting mica from abandoned mines, primarily in illegal mining operations in India. Typically, victims are abused in the homes of family members or someone they considered a close friend, who then force them to perform numerous household jobs like cleaning, cooking, child and elderly-care, gardening, or other forms of labor where they work anywhere from 10 to 16 hours per day with little to no pay. Some of the children forced to work in the fishing industry are working in bonded labor after being sold or sent by their parents under a one- to three-year contract, for which the parents are promised payment on agreed-upon intervals. In Rajasthan, which produces 90 percent of Indias sandstone, boys and girls as young as age 6 or 7 work chiseling sandstone cobblestones, and boys ages 13 to 17 quarry sandstone. These workplaces are located primarily in and around Ho Chi Minh City; however, many of these children have migrated, or have been trafficked, from the countryside and from central or northern provinces. There are reports that children ages 14-17 and some as young as 7 are forced to work during the annual cotton harvest in Tajikistan. The survey indicates that more boys than girls are engaged in child labor producing peppers. According to Iranian news outlets, children in the brick kilns work more than 8 hours a day and are exposed to injuries, dust, and extreme heat. Washington, DC 202101-866-4-USA-DOL. Children who work in producing baked goods may be at risk of exposure to hazards including working long hours, carrying heavy loads, and exposure to extreme temperatures and toxic fumes. Burmese and Cambodian immigrants are particularly vulnerable to forced child labor in the shrimp industry. Some farmers buy the children and refuse to let them leave the farm until the debt of their purchase has been worked off. In addition, many mines are controlled by military officers or armed groups, which are known to round up villagers, including children, at gunpoint and force them to work with threats of violence. Victim testimonies, news media, and think tanks report that factories, including for textiles, 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 threaten family members. There are reports that children, as young as age 8, are engaged in the harvesting of aa berries in Brazil. According to Government of Burkina Faso officials, NGOs, and the U.S. Department of State, numerous incidents of child labor have been reported in these granite quarries, including hundreds of children working in the Pissy quarry, and NGOs report that the problem is increasing. There are reports that children ages 5 to 17 work in poultry raising in Ecuador. Based on an analysis of the survey, it is estimated that 31,628 child laborers cultivate rice. Regional- and district-level officials assign each farmer a quota for the production of silk cocoons, and threaten farmers with fines, the loss of their leased farmland, or physical violence if they fail to meet the quota. But what if your boss replied, You cant quit What if your boss said that the company owns you and has authority over whether you get to leave? There is evidence that children between the ages of 5 and 17 are involved in cattle raising in Mexico. The 2020 Congressional-Executive Commission on China report named Calvin Klein among the companies suspected of having ties to forced labor in Xinjiang. Many workers in the sector are isolated in remote, prison-like logging camps in the far east of the country. Consequently, in August of 2020, L.L.Bean made the decision to exit Xinjiang and remove all Chinese cotton from our assortment. The 2020 Australian Strategic Policy Institute report also identified Patagonia among the companies that could have directly or indirectly benefited from forced labor in China. 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. According to the survey, almost 13 percent of Paraguayan children engaged in child labor in agriculture do not attend school. The ILO has found that generally, children who work with livestock may be at risk of exposure to hazards including working long hours, being injured by the animals, and exposure to the elements, diseases, and chemicals such as disinfectants. According to NGOs, forced child labor in brick production is pervasive, particularly in Northern Rakhine State and near military camps. According to the most recently available NGO data, between 30,000 and 60,000 children work in Nepal's brick kilns, of which up to 39 percent are working as bonded labor. The polysilicon manufacturers work with the Chinese government to make use of ethnic minority groups for exploitative labor, often receiving financial incentives. Publication of the List has resulted in new opportunities for ILAB to engage with foreign governments to combat forced labor and child labor. Approximately 24 million people trafficked for labor are in bondage, working in an industry in which they receive little to no pay. Other children leave their home countries or communities voluntarily, but end up in situations where they are not paid and have no means to return home. Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionWROFAQs, Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. Ltd WRO FAQs, Preparing for an Audit-Partnership in Responsible Trade, Hoshine WRO - Updated Guidance Document for Industry, North Korea Sanctions and Enforcement Actions Advisory: Risks for Businesses with Supply Chain Links to North Korea, 2020 CBP Virtual Trade Week Forced Labor Session. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Eswatinis commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Based on estimates from international organizations, NGOs, and academic researchers, thousands of children work in Rajasthans sandstone quarries. In addition, the analysis indicates that 5.2 percent of working adolescents ages 15 to 17, or 1,625 adolescents, were also engaged in coffee production. Some workers have had their working papers or identity papers confiscated by their employer. 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 most recently available information from government raids, NGOs and media reports indicates that groups of children are found in small privately-owned factories and informal workshops. There are reports that children, most between the ages of 8-17, are forced to produce garments in India. Based on the Government of Vietnams National Child Labor Survey 2012, the results of which were published in 2014, an estimated 9,756 child laborers work in footwear manufacturing for over 42 hours per week. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 13 raise hogs in Brazil. Tariff Act to Combat Forced Labor in Supply Chains, may be used to help the trade community strengthen petitions to CBP, and is one of several suggested toolsto combat forced labor. There is evidence that children under the age of 14 produce baked goods in Pakistan. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. Many of these victims report being recruited by middlemen, called enganchadores, that lie to workers about the nature and conditions of the work, wages, hours, and quality of living conditions. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015, a representative survey of childrens work in rural areas. The 2020 Australian Strategic Policy Institute report identified Zara among the companies that could have directly or indirectly benefited from forced labor in China. In many cases, children drop out of school to dig and shovel sand in and along rivers and load and unload sand onto and from large trucks. The Government, NGOs, media, and the ILO indicate that some children are forcibly recruited by non-state armed groups, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the National Liberation Army, and criminal groups to pick coca. .table thead th {background-color:#f1f1f1;color:#222;} There is evidence that children under the age of 14 work in the production of furniture in Pakistan. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The story has been updated to include the comment. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. ", "Regarding our suppliers: We take the respect for human rights very seriously and as a general principle, all Siemens suppliers must commit themselves to comply with our 'Code of Conduct' for Suppliers. At low costs, employers are able to demand cheap labor to work, which gives coercion an open door. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Amazon has continued to work with companies in China accused of using forced labor despite public warnings about their work practices, according to a report published Monday by a nonprofit. 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. Some children are denied sufficient food by their traffickers and employers. There is evidence that children between the ages of 5 and 14 engage in the production of bovines in Cambodia. There are reports that children ages 3 to 17 produce mica in Madagascar, primarily in the southern provinces of Androy, Anosy, and Ihorombe. According to available reports, indigenous farmworkers from impoverished regions of central and southern Mexico are particularly vulnerable to forced labor in the agricultural sector due to low education levels, linguistic barriers, and discrimination. Based on an analysis of Pakistans Labor Force Survey 20172018, an estimated 25,789 children perform tasks related to the creation of furniture, including gathering the raw materials needed to assemble traditional sofas and chairs. In addition, certain children work under threats and penalties including physical, verbal, and sexual abuse, and do not receive food or pay. Four years ago, in January 2019 we adopted a policy prohibiting sourcing from the XUAR that encompasses all products and tiers of our supply chain.". She's thrilled to work alongside Dressember in their advocacy to spread awareness about modern-day slavery. The survey considers a child to be engaged in child labor if the child is working an excessive number of hours per week for his or her age, or if the child is engaged in work that is prohibited for underage employees according to national legislation. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 raise sheep in Paraguay. Lets take a look at these industries: The agricultural industry is one of the most troubling industries where forced labor is rampant. This research suggests that further downstream products of palm fruit and palm oil, such as cooking oils, animal feed, bakery items and baked goods, beverages, household and industrial products, personal care and cosmetic products, infant formula, and biofuels, may be produced with an input produced with child labor and forced labor. There is evidence that children between the ages of 5 and 14 work in garment manufacturing in Mexico. 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 boys receive no pay for their work; the farmers pay the teachers and the recruiters for the boys' labor. They are punished by their employers with physical abuse. The company declined to comment for this story. The ILO has found that generally children who fish may be at risk of exposure to hazards, including long hours, extreme temperatures and harsh weather conditions.