BRASILIA (Reuters) – The Brazilian government has suspended the issuance of temporary work visas for BYD, a Chinese manufacturer of electric vehicles, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday (27).
The information was announced days after labor authorities said they found 163 Chinese workers in conditions “similar to slavery” at a construction site at the BYD factory in Camaçari, Bahia. The workers were , who denied any wrongdoing.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the workers entered Brazil with temporary work visas, the so-called type 5, reserved with specific training and experience to be used in the work to be carried out in the country.
Inspectors from the Public Ministry of Labor investigating the case stated at the beginning of the week that they were victims of human trafficking.
