Western carmakers have "massive and expanding links" with rights abuses against the Uyghur minority in China's Xinjiang region, a UK university has claimed following a six-month investigation.

The probe by four academics and anonymous researchers at Sheffield Hallam University in northern England found international supply chains "captive to repressive programs and systematic forced labour" in China.

The Chinese government has deliberately shifted raw materials mining and processing and auto parts manufacturing into Xinjiang, the team alleged after analysing publicly available documents.

"If you have bought a car in the last five years, some of its parts were likely made by Uyghurs and others forced to work in China," their report, released this week, states.

"Analysis of publicly available documents revealed massive and expanding links between western car brands and Uyghur abuses, in everything from the hood decals and car frames to engine casings, interiors and electronics."

It noted every major car brand -- including Volkswagen, BMW, Honda, Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Tesla -- is at "high risk of sourcing from companies linked to abuses in the Uyghur region".

The probe claimed some carmakers were sourcing electronics from companies that are employing trafficked Uyghurs in factories in other parts of China.

Meanwhile, others are unwittingly sourcing metals from the Uyghur region, because metal trading companies own equity in Xinjiang smelters, the researchers said.

The team blamed a combination of weak enforcement of forced labour laws and Beijing's "blind eye to environmental standards" paired with convoluted supply chains for the situation.

It urged the Western car companies to act.

"The auto industry cannot wait another day to trace their supply chains back to the raw materials," the report summary said, adding "to do anything short of full tracing would be an enormous legal, ethical, and reputational risk".

China has been accused of detaining upwards of one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in camps in its far western regions.

A United Nations report in August cited possible crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.

Chinese authorities have described the facilities as "vocational education centres" used to halt separatist sentiments and religious extremism and denied widespread abuses.

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