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In the United States, the New York Times revelations about the exploitation of young children, mainly Latin Americans, in large factories working for famous brands have caused a stir and shock. Immigrant rights groups and politicians have denounced the situation as unacceptable.
From our New York correspondent, Loubna Anaki
These migrant children are forced to work in factories, slaughterhouses, construction sites and agricultural fields, sometimes at night. According to The New York Times investigation, who conducted a hundred interviews, are 15, 16 and, in some cases, only 12 years old. The article describes very difficult working conditions and minors who find themselves trapped in a system of exploitation that totally violates US child labor law.
The vast majority of the children come from Central American countries and arrived on their own in the United States. They are supposed to go live with relatives or be taken in by foster families.
At first, they go to school, but some owe money to the smuggling gangs that brought them across the border. Others are pushed to work by the people who host them. And then there are those who simply want to send money to their families who didn’t make it across the border.
Sharp increase in illegal child labor
These revelations are causing a stir because they show that there are a large number of unaccompanied minors in this situation. The investigation does not refer to a single case or a single State. Forced labor of immigrant minors is a reality in at least 20 US states. And in factories that belong to or work for well-known companies and brands such as Whole Foods, Walmart, Target or even General Motors and Ben and Jerry’s supermarket chains. This demonstrates the magnitude of the phenomenon.
The number of illegally employed miners in the country has skyrocketed 69% since 2018. According to the New York Times, this is partly related to the increase in the number of unaccompanied undocumented minors arriving at the southern border. Last year there were more than 130,000, triple that of five years ago.
Flagrant violation of labor law
Right after the publication of the investigation by Hannah Dreier of the New York Times, the Biden administration promised to strengthen controls to protect these minors. A response considered insufficient by some elected officials.
A group of Democrats sent a letter to the Biden administration demanding explanations by April 1. They call for stricter controls in factories and construction sites. They also want stricter controls on the foster families these children are placed in to ensure they are not exploited.
In the last fiscal year in the United States, the Department of Labor identified 835 companies that had employed 3,800 children in violation of the law, and recorded a 26% increase in the number of children hired specifically for hazardous work.
