CNA Staff, Mar 2, 2021 / 03:05 am
An English cardinal on Monday welcomed a U.S. investigation into alleged labor abuses in the garment-making industry in the city of Leicester.
In a March 1 statement, Cardinal Vincent Nichols said that a reported probe by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would bring attention to "the extent of forced and exploited labor" in garment factories in England's East Midlands region.
"Actions such as these can bring pressure on anyone seemingly profiting from exploitation while avoiding all responsibility for it," said the cardinal, who is president of the Santa Marta Group, an alliance of international police chiefs and Catholic bishops combating human trafficking and modern slavery.
Sky News reported on March 2 that CBP had seen sufficient evidence to launch an inquiry after the campaign group Liberty Shared submitted two petitions in February under Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930.