2,600 working and street children identified in the country

According to statistics from the Ministry of Interior's Working Group on Working and Street Children, 2,600 working and street children were identified across the country.

June 12 is the World Day Against Child Labor, which is observed annually on this day and aims to "strengthen the global movement against child labor." This day is proposed by the International Labor Organization to raise awareness and action to prevent child labor.

Ali Rezaei, secretary of the Ministry of Interior's Working Group on Working and Street Children, announced that the number of working and street children identified and organized across the country is 2,600 children. Regarding the activities of this working group, he said: "The Working and Street Children Working Group of the Ministry of Interior was formed in October of last year, in accordance with the Supreme Leader's order, in order to form the National Social Council in the 12th government, but it was neglected and began its main activity in the 13th government with the efforts of martyr Ayatollah Raisi."

"This working group has had nearly 40 provincial trips to 26 provinces of the country in its performance record over the past 10 months, and the children who have been identified have been organized. 14 provinces are the priority of this organization, the ultimate goal of which is the return of the child to the embrace of the family and the enjoyment of his natural rights such as education, health, skills training, etc."

Ali Rezaei emphasized that the Working and Street Children Committee has been formed in 26 provinces of the country and the purpose of its formation is to organize working children in each province according to the existing conditions of each province. He also referred to one of the resolutions of this working group, which he called the training of working and street children in technical and vocational organization schools.

He considered skill training and empowerment of children and creating sustainable employment for them throughout the country, including training of working and street children, and said: "Last year and this year, three thousand people have provided hours of training to working children and empowered them, and this training is appropriate to the physical capabilities of working and street children. Among these trainings, one can mention training in car electrical engineering."

According to statistics from the International Labor Organization, millions of children, both boys and girls, are involved in labor in the world and are deprived of proper education, health, recreation, and basic freedoms. More than half of these children are engaged in the worst possible forms of labor, such as working in hazardous environments, slavery, forced labor, drug trafficking, and even engaging in armed conflicts.

According to Ali Rezaei, organizing working and street children and teaching them skills to start legal work was done while, according to Article 79 of Iran's Labor Law, "Employment of children under 15 years of age is prohibited, and if an employer hires people under 15 years of age, they will be considered a violator and will be subject to punishment ranging from fines and imprisonment to sealing the factory and revocation of the work permit."

Ali Rezaei also announced: "A large portion of these organized children in the country are nationals. After identifying the children of nationals, those who are unauthorized, according to the interaction we have had with the National Immigration Organization, are deported with their families. If they are among the virtual ones, the necessary arrangements will be made so that they are no longer physically present on the streets."

Ali Rezaei, secretary of the Ministry of Interior's Working Group on Child Labor and Street Work, concluded his remarks by announcing the holding of a national conference on child labor and street work from July 12 to 15, adding: "All activists in the field of child labor and street work will be present at this conference, and with the presence of representatives of national agencies, the issues and problems of activists in this field will be discussed and addressed."