"Hungary cracks down on BYD plant over forced labor allegations", The World, 5 Jun 2026

An investigation conducted by the labor rights group China Labor Watch said the electric vehicle maker used a complex web of subcontractors that flew in Chinese migrant laborers to build the plant, alleging laborers consistently faced excessive hours, seven-day work weeks, withheld wages and fear of retaliation.

[...] a spokesperson for the county office where the BYD factory is located told The World in an email that authorities have sanctioned three companies associated with the factory’s construction and imposed a fine on one of them.

“The [Csongrád-Csanád County] Government Office continues to regularly monitor compliance with occupational safety regulations and the matters raised in the report by China Labor Watch, and will, if necessary, enforce lawful and safe working conditions through further proceedings,” the spokesperson said.

[...] it’s unclear what sort of effect these actions will actually have on BYD’s practices. In Brazil, authorities did shut down the company’s factory while it investigated conditions inside, but operations resumed months later. Construction at the Hungary plant is ongoing, and labor rights advocates say while they’ve received some encouraging news, workers are still facing major issues.

BYD did not respond to The World’s requests for comment on the conditions at its Hungarian facility.