Kommunal Landspensjonskasse, Oslo, is divesting itself from two US operators of migrant detention centers for allegedly violating labor and human rights laws, the KLP group said in a statement on Monday.

KLP had 727.6 billion Norwegian kroner ($71.2 billion) in assets as of June 30 and a 4 million kroner stake in the companies CoreCivic and GEO Group. These shares have now been sold.

Kiran Aziz, head of responsible investments at KLP, said in the press release that the two operators of the facilities in the United States “are among the largest providers of security services. Refugees in some of the reception centers are detained against their will and without legal cause. Such arbitrary detention is a violation of international law.”

Ms Aziz said the two operators have also been criticized by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for detaining refugees without legal grounds or due process, while several human rights groups have documented rights abuses. humans over a long period of time. The alleged abuses include poor living conditions, inadequate health care for residents with life-threatening illnesses, slave-like working conditions and sexual assault, Ms. Aziz said in the statement.

KLP unsuccessfully attempted to engage with the companies, which denied the terms, and “showed little understanding of the allegations against them”, Ms Aziz said.

“The companies’ operations pose an unacceptable risk that KLP’s responsible investment guidelines will be breached. Our assessment is that there is a significant risk that human rights abuses will continue,” prompting the exclusions, a she declared.

CoreCivic spokesman Matthew Davio said in an email, “KLP’s decision is about policy, not the company that we are, and their statements are deliberately false and misleading.” CoreCivic does not operate refugee reception centers and the vast majority of people in its civil immigration facilities are not refugees, he said.

“KLP’s decision is part of a disappointing trend of politicized investment decisions, which are made based on misinformation and extremist rhetoric rather than an open and honest conversation about the enormous challenges ahead,” said Mr. Davio.

An email to GEO Group was not immediately returned.