" Pakistan’s kiln workers are trapped in modern-day slavery", 11 July 2024

An estimated 3.5 to 5 million workers, mostly bonded and forced laborers, work at 20,000 brick kilns ...., the Pulitzer Center said in a report in January.

Rights activists say many men, women, and children at brick kilns are often victims of trafficking from impoverished regions. ...

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The kilns are often located in remote areas, and the lack of educational or medical facilities nearby makes their lives even worse.

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The kiln owners keep reminding the laborers of the debt they owe them but never spell out the exact amount or how long they should keep toiling for them.

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The children of workers are the most vulnerable at brick kilns. At least two million children are working in slave-like conditions, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

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