The experts said they have received allegations that migrants are being misled about “working and living conditions and the nature of their agreements with employers in the agricultural or healthcare sectors.”
“This is illegal and highlights the need for urgent reform of the current labor migration system, to ensure effective protection of the rights of migrant workers.,” they said.
Exploiting migrants
The UN experts are concerned about the shortcomings of the Seasonal Worker Scheme – a system implemented in response to labor shortages in Britain.
These specialists say some ‘scheme operators’, licensed recruitment companies, will recruit migrants to work on farms or in poultry production and some will illegally charge them more than £3,000 to work, leaving the migrants in bondage.
In other cases, migrants are promised work in the agricultural or healthcare sectors before they arrive in the country, but later find out there is no job for them.
The UK government has revoked the licenses of ‘non-compliant’ employers in the healthcare sector. However, experts say there are no protections for workers who lose their jobs as a result of these repeals.
They said many workers may later be deported, while others may become victims of human trafficking and exploitation.
“Currently, too many temporary migrant workers are stuck in a legal limbo for too long and run the risk of becoming destitute.”
How the government can help
The special rapporteurs said the UK government “must hold scheme operators to account through effective supervision and audits, as well as regular labor inspections on farms, to protect against human rights abuses by companies based in its territory, in accordance with the Guiding principles for business and human rights.”
They also said that people who exploit workers should be prosecuted, while justice for the victims should be guaranteed.
Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the UN Council for Human Rights to monitor and report specific country situations or thematic issues worldwide.
They are not UN staff and are independent of any government or organization. They perform their work on an individual basis and do not receive a salary for their work.
