Zimbabwean and other foreign care workers, chefs and hospitality staff who risk losing their right to stay in the United Kingdom if they leave an exploitative employer will be helped by new visa changes, the UK Home Office has said.
Officials said that if a worker is found to be a victim of modern slavery, they will be allowed to work for any employer for the remainder of their visa.
Under the Skilled Worker visa scheme, introduced in 2021 to fill post-Brexit labour shortages, a person’s migration status is tied to a sponsoring employer.
It means workers on that route, who have no recourse to public funds, risk having to leave the UK if they lose their job and cannot quickly find another sponsor.
“No victim of modern slavery should be trapped with an exploitative employer because of their immigration status,” the Home Office said on Thursday.
“From today, recognised victims on Skilled Worker visas can leave abusive employers and work elsewhere without risking their immigration status.”
Campaigners have warned that the rule has been exploited by rogue employers, who use workers’ precarious status to underpay them, make them work long hours or put them on zero-hours conditions.
From Thursday, the restriction tying a person’s immigration status to a specific sponsor will be lifted if they receive a positive “conclusive grounds” decision – a formal recognition that they are a victim of modern slavery – through the National Referral Mechanism, the UK’s framework for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.
Modern slavery can include abusive working and living conditions, withheld wages, deception, intimidation, threats, violence, controlled movement or confiscated passports.
Ministers say the change will help care workers, chefs, hospitality staff and others who came to the UK in good faith but faced abuse.
Where evidence of criminality is found, sponsors will be referred to the police.
More: The Guardian
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