Comment on Syrian child refugees making clothes for British companies in Turkish sweatshops, BBC investigation found

Syrian children stand behind a fence at a refugee camp in the Kilis district of Gaziantep, Turkey (Credit: Getty/Ozan Kose) Syrian child refugees are making clothes for British companies in Turkish sweatshops, according to an investigation by the BBC. The refugees work in harsh conditions and often make just over $1.25 per hour, in violation of Turkish minimum wage laws. “If anything happens to a Syrian, they will throw him away like a piece of cloth,” one refugee told reporters from the BBC program “Panorama.” A 15-year-old refugee said he worked more than 12 hours a day ironing clothes, which were then shipped to the U.K. Some of the refugees are exposed to hazardous chemicals that are sprayed to bleach the jeans, yet do not have face masks to protect them. Middlemen reportedly employ the refugees and pay them in cash on the street. The BBC reported that the clothing made by child refugees is going to the retail company Marks & Spencer and the online fashion dealer ASOS. Adult refugees are also working in the sweatshops, making jeans for the companies Zara and Mango. The BBC captured photos and video of the brands’ logos.