Many of the world's largest car manufacturers may be linked to the forced labor of Uyghurs, a Muslim minority group based in Xinjiang, China, according to new research from Sheffield Hallam University.Tesla, Volkswagen, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Stellantis — which includes brands like Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep — were found to be at high risk for exposure to steel and aluminum processing factories that employ forced Uyghur labor, the researchers say.Working conditions in Xinjiang-based metal factories are "utterly appalling," Kendyl Salcito, one of the researchers involved in the study, told Insider.Those who are tasked to clean ball mills — tools used to grind and crush minerals — are exposed to dangerous chemicals, the researchers sayThe new report comes as countries like the US and Germany — some of the largest car producers in the world after China, per the researchers — have passed laws to eliminate forced labor in their supply chains.The report recommends governments enact laws that ban imports linked to forced labor and for car companies to end relationships with suppliers based in Xinjiang."