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Syrian Children Slave Away in Turkey Stitching Designer Clothes

  • H&M responded that they had unregistered Syrians, including children, working in their factories.

    H&M responded that they had unregistered Syrians, including children, working in their factories.

Published 1 February 2016
Opinion

A new report states that in addition to child labor, some undocumented Syrian workers are sexually abused and receive paltry wages.

Major European clothing brands are exploiting undocumented Syrians in Turkey, where child labor, sexual abuse, and “pitiful wages” have been exposed in a new report.

While many of these companies may have no means of identifying and correcting these abuses in their supply factories, “refugee workers are out of sight, out of mind,” said Phil Bloomer, executive director of Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, explaining what may be described as willful ignorance on the part of companies.

“The treatment of Syrian refugees in their supply chains is a litmus test for high street brands’ concern for human rights in the clothes they sell across Europe.”

Of the 28 brands contacted by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, who published the report, only three have a policy to prevent discrimination and maltreatment, and over one-third refused or failed to respond. H&M and Next were two brands that admitted to discovering child labor in their factories.

“The treatment of Syrian refugees in their supply chains is a litmus test for high street brands’ concern for human rights in the clothes they sell across Europe,” said Bloomer.

Of the 2.2 million estimated Syrian refugees who after fleeing the conflict in their country and are living in Turkey, only .002 percent, or 4,000, have been given work papers by the Turkish government. About one-third of the refugees are minors.

Turkey’s textile industry is a major supplier in Europe and sixth-largest in the world. About 60 percent of its workforce is unregistered, according to Fair Wear.

ANALYSIS: A Refugee's Story: From War in Syria to Poverty in the US

The few answers provided by brands were “disappointing,” explained Joe Bardwell, corporate accountability and communications officer at the center. He told teleSUR that most of the auditing processes are incomplete and leave out workers further down the supply chain, where undocumented refugees are more likely to work. Still, four of the companies found that Syrians worked for them in 2015, including H&M and Next. Next was the only company with a comprehensive action plan to address these issues.

Last month, Turkey announced that it would grant work permits to refugees, though several administrative barriers mean that not all could benefit from the measure. However, besides work permits, other measures must be made to address the exploitative conditions in the supply chain.

“It would be unrealistic to think of work permits for Syrian refugees as a magical wand that will solve all problems,” said Numan Ozcan, director of the International Labor Organization’s Turkey office.

Previous reports have cited child labor, sexual abuse and abysmal wages in Turkey’s factories. Racism against Arabs has also affected their living conditions and access to public services.

OPINION: Making Connections: Migration and the Crisis of Europe

Responsibility lies both in the Turkish government and in the companies, said the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s Bardwell, but both are still in a “very early stage” in dealing with the dramatic surge of arrivals. Companies may have been quicker to develop strategies for accountability given heightened media attention, but their public statements cannot always be relied on, he added. Some do not even know that they are subcontracting until they find their clothes in a factory accident, according to the report.

Those that do address unregistered Syrian workers had a variety of responses, including keeping them on, but ensuring that they receive a fair wage.

Turkey has recently come under fire for its treatment of Syrian workers, but Bardwell said that refugees are vulnerable in other countries as well, including Lebanon and Jordan.
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