Correspondence
Email sent to Richard Walker, Managing Director, via Iceland press office.
The email said Shandong Meijia Group has received persons from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under the state-imposed labor transfer program as recently as 2020. The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment schemes which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. Shandong Meijia Group’s website says that Iceland is an international partner of the group, and Meijia plant codes have been found on Iceland-branded seafood products. The email asked for comment.
Email sent to Richard Walker, Managing Director, via Iceland press office. The email outlined connections between Iceland's suppliers, Nomad Foods and Young's Seafood, and Uyghur forced labor in Chinese processing plants. The email asked for comment.
The Outlaw Ocean Project's publishing partner in the UK, Sky News, contacted Iceland, saying: "We are working with Outlaw Ocean Project, an NGO, who have identified Uyghur people working at seafood factories in eastern China, as part of a government labour transfer program. Human rights advocates have warned that this scheme amounts to the forced labour of Uyghur people and other minorities from Xinjiang . We have identified Uyghur workers employed at Shandong Meijia Group. The company’s website says that Iceland is an international partner of the group, and Meijia plant codes have been found on Iceland-branded seafood products. We’d like to offer Iceland the right to reply. Please could you confirm whether Meijia is currently or has ever been a supplier to Iceland? If it is, do you have concerns over the possible use of Uyghur forced labour in their processing plants? Have you raised those concerns?"
Iceland replied: “We can confirm that Iceland is not, nor has not for a significant period, received any products from such sites. It is Iceland’s policy to be able to act responsibly in all commercial and trading activities to establish that the working conditions of people working for, and within the supply chain, meet relevant international standards. We expect that all suppliers of products and services to Iceland comply with the “ETI Base Code”, and this is also supported by working closely together with SEDEX, its members and our suppliers on wide-ranging issues such as the movement/relocation of Uyghur Muslims within China driven by Chinese government directives.”
The Outlaw Ocean Project's publishing partner in the UK, Sky News, asked Iceland to clarify if their statement of November 2, 2023, was confirmation they did once have a relationship with Meijia, and when and why they terminated it.