BBC DID INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
WITH PANORAMA AND THEY FOUND THAT SYRIAN REFUGEES WHO ARE
UNDER AGED ARE NOW BEING EMPLOYED IN TURKISH FACTORIES MAKING
CLOTHING FOR BRANDS SUCH AS ZARA, ASOS, AND M AND S. MARKS
AND SPENCER.
I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU A VIDEO IN JUST A SECOND,
BUT PANORAMA FOUND SEVEN SYRIANS WORKING IN ONE OF THE BRITISH
RETAILERS MADE FACTORIES.
THIS IS MARKS & SPENCER RETAILER.
THE REFUGEES OFTEN EARNED LITTLE MORE THAN A POUND AN HOUR, WELL
BELOW THE TURKISH MINIMUM WAGE AND WERE EMPLOYED THROUGH A
MIDDLEMAN WHO PAID THEM IN CASH ON THE STREET.
LET'S TAKE A
QUICK LOOK AT A PIECE OF THE DOCUMENTARY AND THEN I WILL
GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS.
WE ALSO FOUND YOUNGER CHILDREN AT WORK.
WE GO INSIDE
THIS WORKSHOP, POSING AS THE OWNERS OF A NEW FASHION BUSINESS
AND WE IMMEDIATELY SPOT SOMETHING.
A JACKET WITH AN
ASOS LABEL.
AND ON THE FACTORY FLOOR, WE FIND SYRIAN CHILDREN
AT WORK.
ASOS SAYS IT IS ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CHILD LABOR.
THE COMPANY EXCESSIVE CLOSE WERE MADE HERE BUT SAYS IT IS NOT AN
AUTHORIZED FACTORY.
WE ARE IDENTIFYING THEM BECAUSE ASOS
HAS OFFERED TO US FINANCIALLY SUPPORT ANY CHILD WORKERS SO
THEY CAN RETURN TO SCHOOL.
YOU CAN SEE IN THAT VIDEO, ANOTHER PORTION OF THE DOCUMENT
YOU WANTED TO SHOW YOU GUYS BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF
HOW YOUNG THEY ARE.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT THESE FACTORIES ARE DOING
IS EXPLOITING THEM.
THESE ARE KIDS THAT ARE IN REALLY
DIFFICULT SITUATIONS THAT THEIR REFUGEES AND THEY SHOULD BE IN
SCHOOL BUT INSTEAD THEY ARE BEING USED FOR SLAVE LABOR.
I DON'T FIND THIS STORY SURPRISING.
IT DOESN'T MEAN
THAT IT IS NOT ATROCIOUS.
THEY HAVE ALL OF THESE REFUGEES THERE
AND THEY HAVE FACTORIES.
OF COURSE PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES ARE GOING TO SAY I COULD PAY THEM LESS.
THERE
SITTING RIGHT THERE WITH NO JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY ARE GOING
TO BE DESPERATE FOR WORK SO THEY ARE GOING TO GO, UNSCRUPULOUS
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DO THIS IN THE FAMILY OF THOSE KIDS
PROBABLY THINK I HAVE NO WAY TO MAKE MONEY.
I LEFT MY WHOLE
LIFE BEHIND AND SYRIA.
HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO GET MONEY
OR SUBSTANCE OR, SUSTENANCE OF COURSE I MEAN, ANYTHING WHEN I
AM STUCK IN THIS REFUGEE CAMP.
THEY SAY YES TO WORKING UNDER
THOSE CONDITIONS AND I GUESS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE
A DOCUMENTARY LIKE THIS IS A BRINGS IT BACK TO THE
COMPANIES WHO WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
IT IS ON THE LARGER COMPANIES TO SAY NO, DON'T DO THIS.
LET'S FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS TOGETHER.
IT DOESN'T OFTEN WIND UP THAT WAY UNLESS YOU PUT A
SPOTLIGHT ON IT.
SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENS IN THE UNITED STATES AS WELL.
YOU
HAVE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS COMING INTO THE COUNTRY AND
SINCE THEY ARE UNDOCUMENTED AND OFTEN TIMES THEY ARE VERY
DESPERATE, THEY DO END UP GETTING PAID LESS THAN MINIMUM
WAGE.
THEY DO GET EXPLOITED SOON YOU SEE THIS TYPE OF
BEHAVIOR ALL THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND THE US ISN'T ABOVE IT.
YOU SEE IN THE US AS WELL.
I KNOW TURKEY IS NOT NECESSARILY COMPLETELY DEVELOPS, BUT IT
STILL HAS LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
ISN'T THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THIS IF THEY HAVE A MINIMUM WAGE?
IS KEEP IT REAL.
1ST OFF, TURKEY IS ONE OF THE TOP 20
ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD.
I THINK THEY ARE RANKED 17TH NOW.
THAT
IS NOT BAD.
YOU SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF RULES AND REGULATIONS
IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE TOP 20 ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD.
I DON'T
EVEN KNOW IF IT IS FAIR TO SAY THEY ARE A DEVELOPING COUNTRY.
HAVING SAID THAT, I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE WITH TURKEY.
I LIVED
THERE WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG BUT I'VE GONE BACK THERE PLENTY
OF TIMES.
UNSCRUPULOUS BUSINESSMEN ARE TOTALLY GOING TO
GET AWAY WITH IT.
WE HAVE LEGALIZED BRIBERY HERE IN THE US
THROUGH THE CAMPAIGN DONATIONS.
PLACES LIKE THAT IT IS A LITTLE
LESS SOPHISTICATED.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LEGAL.
TO BE FAIR TO
TURKEY, ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO REASON TO THE CONTEXT OF THIS
STORY.
AS A GENERAL THING, DOESN'T HAPPEN IN RUSSIA?
OF
COURSE.
RUSSIA HAS AN EVEN LARGER ECONOMY.
DOES IT
HAPPENED IN A LOT OF PLACES?
YES IT DOES.
THE MORE CORRUPT
GOVERNMENT IS, THE MORE IT IS.
A LOT OF THEM ARE FRIENDLY WITH
BUSINESS INTERESTS AND YOU SCRATCH MY BACK I SCRATCH YOUR
BACK.
AS A RIGHT RING PLACE TO THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT CHILD LABOR?
UNFORTUNATELY NOT VERY MUCH AT ALL.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS ARGUMENT --