THE number of people who are being exploited and becoming victims of modern slavery in the care sector is expected to rise again, a former anti-slavery commissioner warned today.
Unseen, a charity which helps support survivors of modern slavery, recorded 63 potential victims of modern slavery in 2021. But by 2022, as Britain continued to face shortages in the care sector, the number of people exploited had increased over 10-fold to 712.
“Apparently the number will be higher again this year,” former anti-slavery commissioner Dame Sara Thornton told the BBC’s Today programme.
The issue is a real concern, she warned: workers can feel tied to their jobs in Britain as they might face having to pay back money for visas which had been sponsored by their employer.
She said that workers have often incurred substantial debts to get here. They are then “in effect, without a voice” if they end up working long shifts in poor conditions.
“I’ve heard if they complain, then they’re threatened that their visa will be revoked,” she said. “And while in principle you can switch employers with this visa, in practice, the employer can claw back any costs, and so it’s very unattractive.
“So people are kind of tied into these jobs — and if the conditions are not good, they don’t feel that they can do anything to raise concerns.
She said while such situations are definitely exploitation, it is a matter of evidence and law as to whether they hit the threshold needed under the Modern Slavery Act for a prosecution.
She added: “There is an argument in fact, there is a kind of a gap here that people are being exploited [in]. They’re tied to their work, but it might not be hitting the threshold for prosecution under section one or section two of the Modern Slavery Act.”
“We are dealing with these victims, and it is growing problem.”
Unison head of social care Gavin Edwards said: “The government must stop unscrupulous care employers from luring overseas workers under false pretences only to then exploit and harass them. These practices have no place in a modern society.
“Care work is highly skilled. The sector needs a long-term funding plan that significantly boosts wages and offers a career path with training.
“Worryingly, the government seem more intent on playing politics with migrant workers’ lives than tackling exploitation and the record number of care sector vacancies.
Migrant staff deserve nothing but respect and dignity for coming to look after those who need care the most. This makes the case for why a national care service — that mirrors the NHS — is needed so urgently.
