June 08, 2016 10:56
Poland has suspended labor imports from North Korea, the Voice of America reported Tuesday.
The measure came amid international sanctions against the North after its latest nuclear test in January and allegations that overseas workers toil in near-slavery.
The Polish Foreign Ministry has not issued any visas for North Korean workers since the nuclear test in January, a ministry spokesman was quoted as saying on Sunday.
Last year Poland issued a total of 156 visas for North Korean workers.
Vice News recently reported on the miserable human rights conditions of North Korean workers in Polish shipyards and the suspected outflow of EU subsidies through their salaries, most of which are confiscated by the regime.
The shipbuilders receive a 70 million euro subsidy for their contribution to economic development.
It remains to be seen whether other EU countries will follow suit. Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic have already sent North Korean workers home.
More than 50,000 North Korean workers are earning hard currency for their regime in about 40 countries, according to the UN. The money they earn for the regime amounts to US$1.2-2.3 billion a year.
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