2,600 Child Laborers and Street Children Identified Across the Country

According to statistics from the Ministry of Interior’s Child Labor and Street Children Task Force, 2,600 child laborers and street children have been identified across the country.

June 12 is designated as the World Day Against Child Labor, observed annually with the aim of “strengthening the global movement against child labor.” The International Labour Organization has designated this day to raise awareness and promote activities to prevent child labor.

Ali Rezaei, secretary of the Ministry of Interior’s Child Labor and Street Children Task Force, announced that 2,600 child laborers and street children have been identified and organized across the country. Regarding the task force’s measures, he stated: “The Ministry of Interior’s Child Labor and Street Children Task Force was established in September of last year following the directive of the Supreme Leader to form a national social council during the twelfth government, but remained dormant and began its main activities in the thirteenth government with the efforts of the late Ayatollah Raisi.”

This task force has conducted nearly 40 provincial trips across 26 provinces over the past 10 months, and the identified children have been placed under an organization program. Fourteen provinces are the priority for this organization, with the ultimate goal being to return children to their families and allow them to benefit from their natural rights such as education, health, skills training, and more.”

Ali Rezaei emphasized that committees for child labor and street children have been established in 26 provinces, with the aim of organizing working children in each province according to the existing conditions in that province. He also referred to one of the task force’s resolutions, which he described as providing education to child laborers and street children in the technical and vocational organizations’ schools.

He considered skills training, empowerment of children, and creating sustainable employment for them nationwide as part of child labor education programs, stating: “Over the past year and during this year, we have conducted three thousand hours of training for child laborers and empowered them. These trainings are tailored to the physical and physiological capabilities of working children and street children. Among these trainings, we can mention automotive electrical training.”

According to the International Labour Organization’s statistics, millions of children, both boys and girls, worldwide are engaged in labor and are deprived of proper education and training, health, recreation, and basic freedoms. More than half of these children are engaged in the worst forms of work such as labor in dangerous environments, slavery, forced labor, trafficking in drugs, and even involvement in armed conflicts.

The organization of child laborers and street children and providing them with skills training to begin legal work has been carried out, according to Ali Rezaei’s statements, while according to Article 79 of Iran’s Labor Law, “employment of children under 15 years old is prohibited, and if an employer hires persons under 15 years old, they will be considered a violator and subject to penalties including fines, imprisonment, closure of factories, and revocation of work permits.”

Ali Rezaei also announced: “A large portion of these organized children in the country are foreign nationals. After identifying foreign national children, those who are undocumented are returned across the border with their families according to coordination we have with the National Migration Organization, and if they are documented, necessary arrangements are made so they no longer have a physical presence on the streets.”

Ali Rezaei, secretary of the Ministry of Interior’s Child Labor and Street Children Task Force, concluded by announcing the holding of a national conference in the field of child labor and street children from June 22-25, adding: “At this conference, all stakeholders in child labor and street children will be present, and with the participation of representatives from national organizations, synergy will be achieved and the issues and problems of activists in this field will be discussed.”