Review of UK seasonal worker visas to increase risk of slavery, experts warn
More people will be at risk of modern slavery on British farms if a cap on seasonal worker visas is lifted, labour rights experts have warned.
Liz Truss has signalled that she intends to lift the cap on foreign workers in seasonal agriculture as part of a review of visas to tackle labour shortages.
The proposals come at a time when Britain has no anti-slavery commissioner to scrutinise modern slavery risks in government policies.
Sara Thornton, who was commissioner until April this year, said the government “needs to deal with the potential for worker abuse and the danger of debt bondage” before expanding the seasonal worker scheme further.
Thornton, now a professor of modern slavery policy at the University of Nottingham, added: “We need to be really careful. I understand why they want to do this but these workers will be vulnerable.
“We need to ensure that they’re not subjected to recruitment fees, we need to ensure that they don’t come here in debt bondage and that they’re able to have a contract in their own language and to [report concerns].”
The seasonal worker scheme has already been rapidly expanded, with about 40,000 visas issued this year, up from just 2,500 in its pilot in 2019.
Brexit and the war in Ukraine mean workers are being recruited from more distant countries that have fewer labour protections than in Europe. Experts say the high cost of flights and visas also increase the risk of debt bondage even in situations where no other exploitative fees are charged.
The Guardian revealed last month that Indonesian workers arriving under the seasonal worker scheme reported shouldering debts of up to £5,000 for one season’s fruit picking in Kent. A Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) investigation is under
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