Human Rights Platform and Refugee Rights Association reacted to human trafficking and forced labor in north Cyprus

The Human Rights Platform and Refugee Rights Association on Friday drew attention to the fact that workers brought by Cypfruvex for the citrus harvest were forced to work and called for urgent measures against human trafficking.

The Human Rights Platform and Refugee Rights Association reacted to human trafficking, pointing to the workers brought to Cypruvex for the citrus harvest.

Human Rights Platform and Refugee Rights Association made a joint statement on the occasion of the European Union Day Against Trafficking in Human Beings.

The statement said that human trafficking is one of the biggest human rights violations in the modern world and that this situation is getting worse in Northern Cyprus.

The statement, which referred to workers brought by Cypruvex, a state-affiliated company, for the citrus harvest in 2024, said, “More than 600 workers in the Güzelyurt region have been faced with treatment that violates human dignity, such as poor working conditions, threats, non-payment of wages and forced labor. As the Human Rights Platform, with the support of the Refugee Rights Association, we are making intense efforts to reach these victims, provide legal support and ensure justice. However, the negligence of state institutions and the failure to pursue this crime complicates the situation even further.”

The statement, which stated that human trafficking not only causes individual victimization but also wounds the conscience of societies, said, "Slavery-like practices must end immediately in our country and all over the world."

The statement also called for urgent and effective measures to be taken to protect victims and stop human trafficking.