Calls for ban on imports linked to forced labour

BRITAIN risks being a “dumping ground” for goods linked to forced labour in countries like China unless the UK Government reforms its antislavery laws, Parliament’s human rights watchdog has warned.

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Existing rules are failing to prevent products flown from Xinjiang, where Beijing is accused of employing Uighur Muslim people against their will, ending up on UK shelves, according to a new report.

In the 99-page document, MPs and peers on the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) called on ministers to impose import bans on goods linked to forced labour.

Mandatory human rights due diligence for UK firms and penalties for flouting the requirements should also be introduced, the cross-party group said. This would establish a legal duty for businesses to manage any risk of human rights abuse in their operations, such as by requiring suppliers to fulfil certain conditions, rather than the existing “voluntary” approach.