Industry Insight: Abuse reported by foreign care workers across UK

Dozens of migrant care workers who have travelled to the UK to work sometimes find themselves exploited and silenced due to the fear of losing their jobs and visas due to the existing visa system making them dependent on their employers for their right to stay and work in the UK.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), in partnership with Citizens Advice, gathered testimonies of almost 175 people working for approximately 80 care providers via the health and care worker visa.

According to the information gathered, with names being kept anonymous, some care workers shared they experienced wage theft by paying up to £30,000 in illegal recruitment fees, received fewer work hours than promised, and were left destitute because of the working conditions experienced in the care sector.

Care worker B lived in a house arranged by her employer while working as a carer. She got sexually harassed by her landlord but didn’t raise a complaint due to the clause in her contract which said that if she was sacked or resigned she would have to repay the cost of her flights to the UK.

Care worker D, a live-in care worker, expressed her fear over the financial power her agency had over her. She was sometimes expected to work 20 hours a day, with no rest breaks or time to recuperate between placements. However, her complaints went nowhere, and her mental health suffered. 

Care workers feel trapped in these situations because if they lose their job for any reason they have at most, 60 days to find a new work sponsor or leave the UK, once they are contacted by the Home Office.

According to Hignell, A first step to fix this is to design working visas in a way that it doesn’t bind care workers to their employer. The government should also give workers better options for raising the alarm about poor treatment and ensure exploitative employers are held to account.

Find below Information of organizations ho provide support to care workers affected by rape or sexual abuse. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland.

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https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2024-03-11/visa-system-forces-care-workers-to-stay-silent-on-rape-and-abuse