Reports of modern slavery double in UK care sector

[Social Media]

 

The number of modern slavery cases reported within the UK care industry has more than doubled in the past year.

There were 109 potential victims, exploited for personal or financial gain, between January and March - twice as many as the same period in 2022.

BBC File on 4 obtained the figures from the government-approved anti-slavery helpline, run by charity Unseen.

Investigators trying to protect workers from being exploited say the care industry is now a "top priority".

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) - whose role is to protect workers from labour exploitation across the UK - told us it had more than 300 ongoing care sector investigations.

Unseen says the rise in calls about the care sector in the past 12 months is because the government has made it easier for overseas social care staff to work in the UK post-Brexit - and fill thousands of job vacancies.

 

As the supply chain gets bigger, there's more chance for exploitation - says the charity.

In the year to March, the government had issued 102,000 skilled worker, health and care visas to foreign workers - that's up 171% on the previous year. In a statement, it told File on 4 that more than £17.8m had been spent policing modern slavery since 2016.

It's very rare to hear from a victim of modern slavery in person, but one woman who came to the UK on a work visa - and was forced to work gruelling hours as a carer - has told us her story.

 

FULL STORY

[nauseus]

From the same story:

 

For Terri, who was in an abusive marriage, the job was the perfect opportunity to escape with her three children.

"Butterflies were going through me, it was one of the best days of my life," she says.

Terri brought her mother with her to the UK, so she could look after Terri's children. Although Terri would be provided with somewhere to stay through the care company, depending on where she was asked to work, the children and their grandmother went into private rented accommodation.

 

No wonder there is so much complaint about UK immigration numbers. One care job brings in 5 people! Insanity. 

 

Have a read. It gets madder.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66260064

[youreavinalaff]

4 hours ago, nauseus said:

From the same story:

 

For Terri, who was in an abusive marriage, the job was the perfect opportunity to escape with her three children.

"Butterflies were going through me, it was one of the best days of my life," she says.

Terri brought her mother with her to the UK, so she could look after Terri's children. Although Terri would be provided with somewhere to stay through the care company, depending on where she was asked to work, the children and their grandmother went into private rented accommodation.

 

No wonder there is so much complaint about UK immigration numbers. One care job brings in 5 people! Insanity. 

 

Have a read. It gets madder.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66260064

No. Only the person on the sponsorship forms can enter on a Tier2 visa. The others must apply for dependant visas.

 

This is where the article is confusing. They talk about slave labour then about a woman who has proved enough funds to get a mum and 3 kids dependant visas. It doesn't add up.

 

I would think the slave labour would be about those working with incorrect visas.

[Purdey]

I doubt anyone cares except for the people whose job it is to help immigrants. 

[Chomper Higgot]

4 hours ago, nauseus said:

From the same story:

 

For Terri, who was in an abusive marriage, the job was the perfect opportunity to escape with her three children.

"Butterflies were going through me, it was one of the best days of my life," she says.

Terri brought her mother with her to the UK, so she could look after Terri's children. Although Terri would be provided with somewhere to stay through the care company, depending on where she was asked to work, the children and their grandmother went into private rented accommodation.

 

No wonder there is so much complaint about UK immigration numbers. One care job brings in 5 people! Insanity. 

 

Have a read. It gets madder.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66260064

I don’t hear any Brits complaining after leaving their parents in care homes that are reliant on immigrants to do the caring.

[BusyB]

32 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I don’t hear any Brits complaining after leaving their parents in care homes that are reliant on immigrants to do the caring.

Cheaper innit ...

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I don’t hear any Brits complaining after leaving their parents in care homes that are reliant on immigrants to do the caring.

Well you do now. One underpaid woman, along with her mom and three kids to occupy one care worker position is ridiculous.

[Chomper Higgot]

29 minutes ago, nauseus said:

Well you do now. One underpaid woman, along with her mom and three kids to occupy one care worker position is ridiculous.

You could do the caring yourself.

[JonnyF]

7 hours ago, nauseus said:

From the same story:

 

For Terri, who was in an abusive marriage, the job was the perfect opportunity to escape with her three children.

"Butterflies were going through me, it was one of the best days of my life," she says.

Terri brought her mother with her to the UK, so she could look after Terri's children. Although Terri would be provided with somewhere to stay through the care company, depending on where she was asked to work, the children and their grandmother went into private rented accommodation.

 

No wonder there is so much complaint about UK immigration numbers. One care job brings in 5 people! Insanity. 

 

Have a read. It gets madder.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66260064

Exactly. Solve one problem, create multiple other problems.

 

No wonder there's a housing crisis and a shortage of school places. 

 

I'm glad I got out when I did.

 

On the plus side, my rental properties are easy to fill, just have to separate the wheat from the chaff at the application stage.

[Chomper Higgot]

35 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Exactly. Solve one problem, create multiple other problems.

 

No wonder there's a housing crisis and a shortage of school places. 

 

I'm glad I got out when I did.

 

On the plus side, my rental properties are easy to fill, just have to separate the wheat from the chaff at the application stage.

A woman immigrant coming to the UK to take care of her own family and working to take care of people in the UK who’s own family can’t or won’t take care of them themselves is a long way off my idea of being a problem.

[metisdead]

An off topic post about the refugee problem at the Southern border of the United States and a reply has been removed as this topic is about:

 

Reports of modern slavery double in UK care sector

[youreavinalaff]

47 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

A woman immigrant coming to the UK to take care of her own family and working to take care of people in the UK who’s own family can’t or won’t take care of them themselves is a long way off my idea of being a problem.

Your post and you previous post suggesting " Brits leaving their parents in care homes",  highlights your ignorance of who lives in care homes and for what reason.

[youreavinalaff]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Exactly. Solve one problem, create multiple other problems.

 

No wonder there's a housing crisis and a shortage of school places. 

 

I'm glad I got out when I did.

 

On the plus side, my rental properties are easy to fill, just have to separate the wheat from the chaff at the application stage.

You might like to read my previous comment on the matter. The comment you quoted is wide of the mark.

[youreavinalaff]

3 hours ago, BusyB said:

Cheaper innit ...

No, it isn't. 

 

 

[nauseus]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You could do the caring yourself.

Well someone thought that was funny.  

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

A woman immigrant coming to the UK to take care of her own family and working to take care of people in the UK who’s own family can’t or won’t take care of them themselves is a long way off my idea of being a problem.

Maybe it's your ideas that are way off?

[nauseus]

5 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

No. Only the person on the sponsorship forms can enter on a Tier2 visa. The others must apply for dependant visas.

 

This is where the article is confusing. They talk about slave labour then about a woman who has proved enough funds to get a mum and 3 kids dependant visas. It doesn't add up.

 

I would think the slave labour would be about those working with incorrect visas.

This is the story. If it is true then somehow all 5 have visas of some type.

 

The 'slave labour' reference seems to be about how so much work had to be done for such a low rate and that with the lack of promised transport and accommodation.

 

My questions would be how can such a lousy employer be allowed to get away with this and how can these visas be apparently be secured so easily? I think there's a lot more to this story not yet told.

[youreavinalaff]

15 minutes ago, nauseus said:

This is the story. If it is true then somehow all 5 have visas of some type.

 

The 'slave labour' reference seems to be about how so much work had to be done for such a low rate and that with the lack of promised transport and accommodation.

 

My questions would be how can such a lousy employer be allowed to get away with this and how can these visas be apparently be secured so easily? I think there's a lot more to this story not yet told.

Minimum wage for Tier2 visa is £10.75 per hour or £25600 a year.

 

Employees have the option to sign a waiver if they wish to work more than 48 hours a week. If they don't sign, that is upto them and their hours are capped at 48. 

 

Accommodation is arranged as part of the visa sponsorship. It's all closely monitored. 

 

I think the person interviewed and those claiming slave labour were not one and the same. 

 

I can't see how anyone on a Tier2 visa can accuse employers of slave labour. What I do see is immigrants complaining they have to work harder than in care homes " at home".

[placeholder]

2 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Minimum wage for Tier2 visa is £10.75 per hour or £25k a year.

 

Employees gave the option to sign a waiver if they wish to work more than 48 hours a week. If they don't sign, that is upto them and their ours are capped at 48. 

 

Accommodation is arranged as part of the visa sponsorship. It's all closely monitored. 

 

I think the person interviewed and those claiming slave labour were not one and the same. 

 

I can't see how anyone on a Tier2 visa can accuse employers of slave labour. What I do see is immigrants complaining they have to work harder than in care homes " at home".

The woman in question pretty clearly explained how it could be done. The employer in the UK has a strong connection to a powerful person back in her home country who could make life miserable for her family if she complains.

[youreavinalaff]

7 minutes ago, placeholder said:

The woman in question pretty clearly explained how it could be done. The employer in the UK has a strong connection to a powerful person back in her home country who could make life miserable for her family if she complains.

That's funny. Thanks for the laugh.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, youreavinalaff said:

Your post and you previous post suggesting " Brits leaving their parents in care homes",  highlights your ignorance of who lives in care homes and for what reason.

Actually it does nothing of the sort.

[placeholder]

2 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

That's funny. Thanks for the laugh.

In other words, you've got nothing.

[Chomper Higgot]

41 minutes ago, nauseus said:

Maybe it's your ideas that are way off?

Maybe they aren’t.

[youreavinalaff]

4 minutes ago, placeholder said:

In other words, you've got nothing.

Oh dear. That old chestnut.

 

So, if she is getting £2 an hour as she claims, how is she paying rent? Buying food? Paying bills?

 

It clearly does not add up.

 

Add to the fact she claims grassing up her employer could make things miserable, why is she telling all to reporters?

[youreavinalaff]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Actually it does nothing of the sort.

It does.

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 minute ago, youreavinalaff said:

Oh dear. That old chestnut.

 

So, if she is getting £2 an hour as she claims, how is she paying rent? Buying food? Paying bills?

 

It clearly does not add up.

Let your imagination fill the gaps.

[youreavinalaff]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Let your imagination fill the gaps.

I don't need to. It's my field. I am involved in the industry. I know how things work.

 

The woman's story is not all true. Simple.

[Chomper Higgot]

4 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

I don't need to. It's my field. I am involved in the industry. I know how things work.

 

The woman's story is not all true. Simple.

I suspect most people’s stories are not all true.

 

Are you doubting the existence of people subjected to treatment that meets the legal definition of slavery within the UK’s care industry?

 

[youreavinalaff]

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I suspect most people’s stories are not all true.

 

Are you doubting the existence of people subjected to treatment that meets the legal definition of slavery within the UK’s care industry?

 

For those on Tier2 visas, as mentioned in the OP, it is highly unlikely.

 

For those with right to work in UK for other reasons, settlement visa, ILR, UK citizens, it is possible there are scrupulous employers taking advantage.

 

 

[stevenl]

7 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

For those on Tier2 visas, as mentioned in the OP, it is highly unlikely.

 

For those with right to work in UK for other reasons, settlement visa, ILR, UK citizens, it is possible there are scrupulous employers taking advantage.

 

 

It seems the facts as reported in the OP are contradicting your opinion.