A “SEISMIC shift” in Britain’s visa system is needed to protect all workers from “super-exploitation and abuse,” according to a new study by the Institute of Employment Rights (IER).

The current visa system for migrant employment, where employers “sponsor” migrant staff to come to Britain, “undermines, devalues and dehumanises” workers and should be replaced, the study found.

It calls to replace the sponsorship system with “a rights-based regime” that would include affordable visa charges, a shift away from short-term visas towards permanent migration, a mechanism for employers, unions and ministers to decide the rules and protections for migrant workers under the 2010 Equality Act.