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.

The study was carried out for the IER by University of Bristol law specialists Dr Manoj Dias-Abey and Dr Katie Bales.

Dr Dias-Abey said: “Labour migration is not just necessary but a positive benefit to the economy and we need a regulatory regime that reflects that reality — and respects the humanity and contribution of workers who come to our shores, as well as those already here.”

Dr Bales said too many migrant workers found themselves being exploited.

“Urgent change is needed right now,” she said, including “a framework of labour law that delivers equal rights and prosperity for all workers.”

IER director Ben Sellers accused politicians and the media of generating “an increasingly hostile political environment” against migrant workers.

“The recommendations in the report are incredibly important, as they add a solid, regulatory framework to the moral arguments for a more humane migration system,” he said.