SlaveryMap

Valle de santiago-Jaral del Progreso, Valle de Santiago, Guanajato, Mexico, Mexico

KBL Group International recruited foreigners of Chinese origin to work in a factory to make sweaters with the promise of high pay and hourly rates. In truth, KBL would charge workers for travel expenses, rent and food causing each to be in debt. Workers has to work 14 hours a day, six days a week without sick days or holidays. They were not allowed to marry or females to get pregnant. The only day off were Sundays, where they were allowed short alloted time out of the factory with other workers and escorted for surveillance. All identification and documents were taken from their possession and were threatened with deportation. They were also punished with high fines for tardiness by the minute and for not buying the food KBL provided. KBL also had Mexican employees were were not allowed to communicate with the Chinese workers.

Location
Mexico · Valle de santiago-Jaral del Progreso, Valle de Santiago, Guanajato, Mexico · 2006 (location generalized to protect survivors)
Response & intervention
Law enforcement contacted INM about the issues. INM investigated KBL and found 61 other Chinese workers working in the same condition as expressed by survivor. KBL was fined and kept under surveillance. It is worth recording that since surveillance by the INM the factory has been put out of business. One female survivor escaped on a Sunday when escorted to the market. She fled the KBL employees and was found by law enforcement. Law enforcement took her to INM (Mexico's immigration) where they verified that she was a human trafficked victim. Mexico's National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH) helped the survivor to secure residential rights in Mexico and provided attorneys for her case. CNDH Survivor's escape. Other information found in outlets listed below. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cmw/docs/CMW.C.MEX.CO.1.Add.1.pdf http://www.msemanal.com/node/3440 http://www.radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias/1496

Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). Use “Report a problem” below to add a source or flag an issue.

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