Brazil’s Federal Police operations against slave labor up 470% in 2021

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Data compiled by the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety last week, on National Day to Combat Slave Labor, show that the number of operations launched by the Federal Police to rescue workers in slave-like conditions increased 470% in 2021 compared to the previous year.

There were 47 operations last year against 10 in 2020.

The data also show an increase in the number of investigations related to the issue. There were 306 investigations opened on slave labor in 2021, up 30% compared to the 235 opened the previous year, the Ministry said.

The balance shows that investigations on human trafficking for slave labor also rose from 44 in 2020 to 81 in 2021, up 84%.

In all, 732 workers were rescued through December 9 in Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, Civil Police and State Police operations. In 2020, this figure stood at 419 people.

Rescues occur in several economic sectors, in rural and urban areas, such as plantations, gold mines, charcoal mines, construction, sewing workshops, and domestic work.

Slave labor is classified in article 149 of the Criminal Code as a situation in which the worker’s freedom is curtailed, degrading conditions, exhausting working hours, or debt bondage. Denunciations may be made by phone at Dial 100 and online through the Ministry of Economy and the Labor Prosecutor’s Office.