Multiple agencies collaborated to inspect suspicious quarry work sites throughout northern Brazil. The law enforcement officers were equipped with training through The Exodus Road’s TraffickWatch Academy and with Cellebrite technology, so they knew immediately that what they saw was modern-day slavery.
The men in the quarries were forced to work long, exhausting shifts. They didn’t have appropriate protective gear or tools as they dealt with dangerous materials. They slept in sheds, mostly exposed to the weather. They didn’t have clean spaces to prepare food. Even the paperwork defining their employment contracts was inadequate.
Officials spoke with the men, hearing about their experiences, explaining their rights to them, and freeing them to pursue employment that would honor their dignity. As the people operating the work sites are penalized, damages will be paid to the men who were exploited.
These survivors of labor trafficking are free from a potentially life-threatening work environment because of your support as part of The Exodus Road’s community. Thank you!
