The High Court in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, has2021counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)2In May, we urged the city government to eradicate the situation where people are forced to work in brick kilns to pay off their debts.Sought.. Many people in Pakistan are unjustly forced to work in brick kilns and various other places to pay off their debts. These people are known as "debt slaves" and have long been a major problem among "modern slavery". Slavery and the slave trade in many parts of the world have been a historicalphenomenonThis is not a problem of the past, but rather a "modern-day slavery" that persists today in different forms. What lies behind this problem? How can it be resolved? This article explores the case of debt slavery in Pakistan.

People loading bricks into wheelbarrows, Pakistan (Photo: Adam Cohn / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

What is a debt slave?

Initially, we will take a closer look at modern slavery. This takes many forms, but mainly exploitation for personal gain, the lack of consent or voluntariness (and in some cases choice) of the victim, and the fact that the victim is unable to escape from slavery due to penalties.Key FactorsIt is believed that Victims of modern slavery are all over the world.40 millionbe beyond one's controlIt is estimated that there are approximately 1,000 slaves in the United States. In addition to debt slavery, modern-day slavery includes forced labor, trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, child labor, and human trafficking, and these issues are complex and intertwined.

Debt slaves are people who are bound and forced to work primarily to pay off their debts. So how does one become a debt slave? When they need to pay for expenses that they cannot afford on their own, for example, medical bills, funerals, or loss of a source of income due to unemployment, people in poverty are often forced to borrow money in exchange for their own or their family's labor. Once in debt, and working for high interest or low wages, even if the initial amount borrowed is relatively small, the debt is never repaid and the person becomes a debt slave. Employers try to keep people in debt slavery for a long period of time in order to make a profit.

Furthermore, if additional money is needed due to illness or other changes in circumstances during this trimmed-down lifestyle,advance rental systemand accumulate debts at high interest rates. Workers are obliged to work more until they repay the newly borrowed amount. Thus, while these advances may temporarily help the worker's livelihood, they are not easy to repay and make the worker's life more difficult. In addition, in recent yearsmovementAs a result, there is a growing number of brokers who act as intermediaries between debt slaves and employers, and there is also concern about double exploitation, with workers owing money to both parties. Because each situation is different, it seems increasingly difficult to uniformly capture the relationship between employers and workers who become debt slaves.

What then are the conditions under which people who become debt slaves are placed? There are various cases of debt slavery, such as individuals with debts being forced to work, or children being sent as labor in place of the debtors themselves. Among them, there are not a few cases in which not only the debtor himself/herself but also his/her family members are involved in forced labor.For example.Too many daily work quotas unilaterally set by employers force families, including children, to work to achieve them. Not only that, but in many cases the exploitation continues for generations as the debt is passed down from generation to generation. In addition, there are often secondary problems such as threats and abuse by employers, rape, malnutrition and other health problems caused by poor working conditions, and so on.

Furthermore, debtors find it very difficult to escape from slavery. One reason for this is that even if they do escape from forced labor, there is likely to be no alternative employment. Because of the high unemployment rate in society as a whole, some workers are unable to raise their voices, fearing that they may lose their livelihood through eviction or unemployment through protests, etc.numerous... In some cases, they do not have the luxury of knowing their rights as workers, which they should be able to claim while forced to work, or when they become debt slaves as children due to their family's debt situation and grow up without basic educationbe seen. Also, if a worker escapes to escape from debt slavery, he or she can be held in a private prison-like place by the employer for punishment and even worse treatmentbe (usu. of inanimate objects)of the workers. At this time, not only the employer, but also some police return workers who have tried to escape from debt slavery back to their employer or help to detain them once they have been freed.case (e.g. receptacle, condition, event, legal action, letter style, etc.)There are also

International Labour Organization (ILO).surveyAccording to the "Mere Old Man," such debt slaves are all over the world.800It is estimated that there are about 10,000 people, and they are particularly prevalent in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, in addition to Pakistan. United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,Palermo Protocol(in Japanese history)note 1), debt slavery is a crime that is a form of human trafficking.treatIt is required to do so. However, the current situation is that debt slavery persists despite international agreements. The following section explores the case of Pakistan in detail.

Brick factory chimney in Pakistan (Photo: Adam Cohn / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

Debt Slavery in Pakistan

Pakistan is located northwest of India and has a population ofApprox. 200 million2,600all(8 in 2021)As of 2015, the country had a population of24.3%The severity of poverty varies widely even among the poor, and policies that match the needs of each group are necessary.have beenThe following is a list of the most common problems with the

Historically, the area that is now Pakistan has been the site of various South Asian empires.governingwas doing. However16When the Mughal Empire, which had ruled the region since the 19th century, declined,19In the 19th century, British trading companies and later the British government moved into the area.1858.British colonial rule began in Pakistan after that.1947The country gained independence from British India in 1949. Prior to colonial rule, there were no landowners in rural areas, only officials who administered land and taxes, and there was no system of individual ownership of land or succession of land from generation to generation. With the fall of the Mughal Empire, landowners began to appear and became powerful with the expansion of the British. Landless peasants were then employed on land owned by the landlords and worked in a power relationship of employer and laborer. Thus,Feudal Institutions(*)2) was created, and from that extreme disparity, debt slavery in agriculture was born.

Furthermore, after independence, in some areas, the transition from traditional to commercial agriculture led to a shift in employment patternschangedid. As agricultural employment declined and people lost their jobs and migrated to the urban suburbs to remain in poverty and look for work, more and more people were forced to rely on loans to factories and other employers that involved forced labor, and in various places, people became debt slaves.

Although there have been various social movements since then, the strong political power of landlords and other economic elites has had a strong political and economic influence on the general publichave an influence onThe issue of debt slavery is no longer a problem in Pakistan. Debt slavery is now a deeply entrenched economic model within Pakistan, and the issue of debt slavery istacit consentThe other aspect is that the debt slaves have been forced to work for the government. The employers of debt slaves are closely connected to the government, or local government officials themselves have forced them into forced labor.caseThe police, prosecutors, judges, and others cooperated with or supported the employer and were reluctant to investigate or prosecute.

Farmers (Photo: ILO Asia-Pacific / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

The number of people considered to be modern-day slaves in Pakistan alone3,180,0006one thousand peopleThe ratio to the population is estimated to be about8th placeThe number of debt slaves has been However, in an investigation by Pakistan's Independent Human Rights Commission, the number of debt slaves among modern-day slaves wasFrom 3 million800allIt is estimated that the number of debt slaves is estimated to be about 1,000,000. Detailed data on debt slavery is difficult to obtain an accurate overall picture, as there are discrepancies in definitions from survey to survey due to the various forms and degrees of debt slavery in different situations.

So what exactly do these people do? Among the debt slaves.Various Industriesand each has its own characteristics. Here we will examine the broad characteristics of agriculture, brick kiln labor, mining, fishing, domestic labor, and other manufacturing. The industrial sector in which debt slaves most often work is agriculture. In many cases, workers do not own their own land and work for a living on rented land from their employers. In forced labor in brick kilns, debt slaves work to make bricks from clay. Because work at the brick kilns increases and decreases with the seasons, many people borrow money from their employers during the off-season to make ends meet. Another industrial sector in which debt-slaves work is in mines. In this case, intermediaries often intervene, not relying as much on the historical relationship between employer and worker as in agriculture or brick kiln work. Forced labor in mines is also said to involve a greater degree of physical control, such as violence. The working environment is characterized by extremely poor conditions and the fact that the workplace is a mine, which makes it easy to be physically isolated from society. In the fishing industry, those who do not have the necessary fishing permits often work under those who do have permits as debt slaves. The working environment for debt-slaves who are forced to engage in domestic labor is somewhat different from these aforementioned situations. Such people work in homes under urban middle- or upper-class employers and are therefore exposed to a high risk of abuse because of the lack of third-party supervision.

Other examples within the manufacturing industry include the manufacture of soccer balls and accessories. In these industries, workers may be able to move up the ladder or have family connections, and the degree of exploitation of workers is considered to be lower than in other industries, but the problem of debt slavery still exists, according to the report.have beenThe following is a list of the most common problems with the

A boy working on sewing soccer balls (Photo: International Labour Organization ILO / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

Eradication Efforts

Up to this point, we have mainly discussed the current situation of debt slavery, but we would like to turn our attention to the efforts that have been made so far. We will begin by reviewing efforts by the central government of Pakistan. In Pakistan1992The law to abolish debt slavery was passed in 1949.hold (i.e. hold true)The law made it possible to This law eliminated some debt obligations for those working as debt slaves and legalized penalties for those who forced debtors to work. Furthermore, a monitoring committee was established, and at the same time the regional director of administration was empowered to investigate and take action against the existence of debt slaves. At first glance, it appears that effective measures were taken against debt slavery. However, the implementation of this lawILO.Gone.1997At the International Labor Conference in 2006,1992The official conviction rate for employers of debt slaves since 1949 is0%andreportThe report was made. The reality showed that some people are engaged in forced labor as debt slaves and that the government has not conducted proper investigations or initiatives to solve the problem.

2001In 2006, a national policy and action plan on the issue of debt slavery was developed by the government (NPPA: National Policy and Plan of ActionThe first of these was the "New York City Plan for the Eradication of Debt Slavery" (NPR). This was a response aimed at eradicating debt slavery and providing housing and food assistance to those freed from debt slavery. Even today, however, the lives of the freed people are still far from adequate, and the effectiveness of the policy is still in question.

There is also a state-by-state movement.2016In 2006, regarding debt slaves at a brick kiln in Punjab, a written statement with details at the time of employment contract to be submitted to the labor prosecutor in order to ascertain and improve the situation.obligationThe social structure did not improve, however, and informal employment did not decrease. However, the underlying social structure did not improve, and informal employment did not decrease due in part to insufficient enforcement of the law and monitoring of the kilns. Not only that, but some labor prosecutors were forced by the authorities topressureSome of them have been subjected to the same treatment, and an environment must be created that will allow labor prosecutors to conduct legitimate investigations in the future.

Labor prosecutors in Punjab who received training (Photo: ILO Asia-Pacific / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

In addition, the Punjab Minister of Labor and Human Resources has been working to enroll children who work in brick kilns in neighborhood schools.Projectindicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.2015The program was initiated in 2006. However, this is not a problem that can be solved quickly, as most parents who are debt slaves also effectively use their children as collateral for the advance loan program and enrollment is not easy.

Even at the municipal level, inadequate measures are evident. For example.2021counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)8In May, Islamabad's63The officials in charge of monitoring labor issues for the two brick kilns are4The fact that there were only two peopleit has become clear thatand criticized as not appropriate given the number of debt slaves.

NGOEfforts have also been made by private organizations such as the whose goal is to eradicate slave labor in Pakistan.NGOPakistan Debt Slave Liberation Front (BLLF(MLS) has created a shelter for the emancipation and reintegration of people in debt slavery and provides legal assistance with lawyers. ThisNGOhas also actively lobbied the government to establish a national commission on debt slavery.Success.It seems that the situation is not as bad as it seems. There is also an organization that focuses on debt slaves in brick kilns and conducts research and activities, as well as an organization that operates a shelter where freed debt slaves stay until they find a new job.organizationThere is a However,NGODespite these various aspects of approaches from the government, it is also true that ultimately it is essential for the government to take action to eradicate the problem of debt slavery to a large extent, because the result is the conclusion that reform of social structures is necessary to fundamentally solve the debt slavery problem.

For the future

As we have seen, it is of course important to eliminate debt slavery, but it is also necessary to consider the lives of people after they are freed from debt slavery. The government andNGOEven if they are separated from their employers through the efforts of the "Mere Old Man," it is not easy for them to start a new life. If they have not been able to attend school because they were previously forced to work, their next career options will be limited, and the possibility of being exploited again will increase. With the high unemployment rate in the country as a whole to begin with, it would be difficult to start a job outside of forced labor or other illegal labor, which would be a major concern for those who were freed. In many cases, people in debt slavery have their housing and other aspects of their lives managed by their employers, and many of them lose their housing as soon as they are liberated. Furthermore, people in debt slavery are not allowed to use state-issued identification cards (National Identity Cardor the birth certificates required to obtain them, in many cases. Without them, access to various government services, such as access to the public health care system and foodI can't.. In other words, they become vulnerable in later life.

Brick kiln workers showing their social security cards (Photo: ILO Asia-Pacific / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

In order to truly solve the problem of debt slavery, in addition to eradicating debt slavery, it is also necessary to support the livelihoods of those who continue to live after their liberation. To what extent can the government reform the current social conditions and power relations in Pakistan that enable exploitation? Can it create a system in which people can feel secure in asking for help without becoming victims of unjust exploitation? Furthermore, the economic situation in which people have to go into debt because of changing circumstances, such as weddings, funerals, and illness, must be changed. It will be a long time before there are no more people suffering from debt slavery.

note 1Its official name is the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.2000It was adopted in New York in 2006.

note (supplementary information) symbol2　A system in which the landowner owns the land and controls the people who live there. It represents a situation where there is a clear hierarchical relationship and no recognition of individual workers' freedom or rights.

Writer: Aoi Yagi

Graphic:Mayuko Hanafusa

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