• The Brazilian Ministry of Justice could withdraw any residence permits issued to Chinese workers.
  • Workers there lived in overcrowded dormitories, without mattresses and with inadequate cooking facilities.
  • Despite denying the allegations, BYD says it has cut ties with contractor Jinjiang Group.

Just days after it was reported that 163 Chinese workers had to endure slavery conditions at the construction site of a BYD factory in BrazilIt was revealed that the country stopped issuing temporary work visas for China’s largest automaker in response to the allegations.

The Brazilian Ministry of Justice has revealed that, in addition to withdrawing temporary work visas, it will revoke any residence permits issued to Chinese workers if they discover that working conditions are as bad as the local labor prosecutor’s office claims.

Read: BYD denies that workers at Brazilian plant were treated like slaves and accuses “foreign forces” of smear campaign

The Ministry of Justice appears to have received notice about the investigation, as anonymous sources say. Reuters issued a request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to suspend temporary visas on December 20, three days before prosecutors announced their findings.

Local authorities claim that contractor Jinjiang Group, which was tasked with building BYD’s new Brazilian factory, has employees working in “slavery-like conditions.” It says staff are housed in overcrowded dormitories with no mattresses, limited cooking facilities and there is only one bathroom for every 31 workers. Prosecutors have also said the contractor is withholding the passports of 107 workers.

Brazil suspends BYD visas over alleged slavery conditions at construction site
Credit: MPT Brazil

Government officials also claim that “pots with prepared food were found open on the floor, exposed to dirt and without refrigeration, to be served the next day.” It was also reported that workers had 60% of their salaries withheld and faced “excessive costs for terminating their contracts.”

Late last week, officials from BYD and Jinjiang Group denied the allegations. Several workers at the site also appeared in a video shared on social media by Jinjiang, in which they stated that they “appreciate” the job they have and want to continue working at the site. They also said the company was holding their passports to help them apply for temporary work permits that they could not do on their own.

Following the revelations, BYD said it had terminated its contract with Jinjiang and had moved workers to nearby hotels for the time being.

Brazil suspends BYD visas over alleged slavery conditions at construction site