According to a new report, the post-Brexit Points Based Immigration System in the UK is severely limiting migrant workers’ abilities to change jobs, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and putting employers in control. The report, titled ‘Systematic Drivers of Migrant Worker Exploitation in the UK’ the Work Rights Centre, pointed out multiple failures in the Home Office’s employer sponsorship scheme, which puts thousands of workers at risk.
The report cited issues ingrained in the UK’s labor enforcement system, drawing on case studies involving migrant workers, including those with Health and Care Visas and Seasonal Worker Visas. CEO of the Work Rights Centre, Dora-Olivia Vicol, stated that the sponsorship system is akin to bonded labor, giving employers the power to exploit with impunity.
One case involved an Indian nurse who paid £20,000 to an agent in India to secure a work visa and employment in the UK, only to find that there was no work for her upon arrival. She now faces deportation unless she finds a new employer within 60 days. Her story illustrates the desperation and exploitation experienced many migrant workers in the UK.
The report called on the government to create a Single Enforcement Body to address labor exploitation and to establish an independent Migrants’ Commissioner to prevent exploitation in the long term. The government was also urged to end employer sponsorship of visas and give migrants the freedom to change employers. This move could help prevent the continued exploitation of migrant labor in the UK.