UK Skilled Worker Visa Under Fire as Report Uncovers Modern Slavery Risks and Policy Gaps
In a strongly worded new report, the UK government has been accused of failing to safeguard migrant workers from exploitation under its Skilled Worker visa system. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a key watchdog within the British Parliament, has raised serious concerns about the Home Office’s handling of the visa reforms—particularly those introduced during the pandemic to recruit care workers from overseas.
What started as a fast-track solution to solve workforce shortages in social care has, according to the report, opened the door to exploitation, modern slavery risks, and immigration non-compliance.
What’s the Problem?
Since the Skilled Worker visa route opened in December 2020, over 1.18 million people have applied to enter the UK. Many were recruited to fill urgent labour shortages in sectors like social care. But the system’s structure, which ties a migrant’s legal status to a sponsoring employer, has left workers in an extremely vulnerable position.
Workers who lose their job or are mistreated may fear speaking out, knowing their visa — and therefore their right to stay in the UK — could be at risk. This power imbalance has reportedly led to:
- Debt bondage
- Excessive and illegal working hours
- Bogus recruitment fees from overseas agents
- Lack of support when employers lose their sponsor license
Shockingly, the PAC revealed that the Home Office has no clear data on how many of these workers have become victims of modern slavery, nor whether those whose visas expire actually leave the country or fall into undocumented status.
What the Committee Says?
PAC Chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP didn’t mince words:
“The speed at which the government opened this visa route came at a painfully high cost — to the safety of workers and the integrity of the visa system. And yet, basic information like how many skilled workers are being exploited or staying illegally in the UK hasn’t even been gathered.”
The Bigger Picture
Just last month, the UK government announced a controversial decision to end overseas recruitment of care workers in an effort to reduce net migration. But the PAC is concerned that this sudden shift could deepen the staffing crisis in social care, especially as demand continues to grow in the coming decade.
Instead of short-term fixes, the committee is urging the government to:
- Develop a comprehensive cross-government plan to prevent exploitation
- Monitor when and how migrants leave the country
- Crack down on unregulated overseas recruitment agents
- Ensure that domestic workforce plans (like NHS recruitment reforms) address these shortages without leaving gaps
What It Means for Migrant Workers?
If you’re a current or prospective Skilled Worker visa holder, especially in the care sector, here’s what this means for you:
- Stronger scrutiny on your visa pathway may be coming
- Job mobility remains limited unless you switch sponsors through official routes
- Protection if you lose your sponsor is still unclear
- Future recruitment into care jobs from overseas is likely to remain restricted.
References
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