Over 500 children removed from illegal jobs in Sulaymaniyah in 2023

SULAYMANIYAH, January 4 — Authorities in Sulaymaniyah removed 550 children from illegal jobs in 2023, in a crackdown on child labor led by the Sulaymaniyah Directorate of Social Monitoring and Development.

The directorate’s spokesperson, Hemn Mohammed, informed 964 that joint committees conducted a total of 3,003 site monitoring visits around Sulaymaniyah last year, resulting in the rescue of 550 children from various workplaces such as cafeterias, restaurants, billiards halls, salons, and factories. Investigations are ongoing into the violations.

Hiwa Saeed, is an educational supervisor at the directorate, and said the interventions were a result of a collaboration with the Kurdistan Child Protection Organization, juvenile police department, and the Sulaymaniyah Labor Directorate.

Operations were conducted under the supervision of the mayor of Sulaymaniyah city, Saeed said.

As part of broader initiatives, the Kurdistan Human Rights Commission and UNICEF are working towards establishing a child protection unit in the Kurdistan Region.

The unit is expected to track violations against children, documenting cases and presenting recommendations for treatment and protection to the relevant authorities.