Employers who commit serious offences will be banned from hiring overseas workers as part of a crackdown on visa abuse and prevent exploitation, the government says
Businesses that repeatedly flout visa rules or commit serious employment breaches, such as not paying the National Minimum Wage, will be barred from hiring overseas workers, according to a statement co-authored by the Home Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, Seema Malhotra MP and Stephen Kinnock MP.
Currently, employers who flagrantly flout visa rules can only be sanctioned for a maximum of 12 months. Under these changes the government said it intends the period for repeat offences to be at least 2 years, double the current length, with final cooling off periods announced in due course.
The government said it will also not wait until employers have committed serious breaches of the law before taking action, when there are already signs of rule breaking.
The crackdown will also protect vulnerable workers from exploitation, prohibiting unprincipled companies from engaging in the unethical practice of charging skilled workers for the cost of sponsorship.Â
These costs, which can be passed onto workers at grossly inflated levels, has led to the exploitation and unfair treatment of staff, particularly within the care sector, in some cases burdened with unsustainable levels of debt to their employers, the government says. Â
Minister for migration and citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP said:Â
“We committed in our manifesto to do everything in our power to ensure those who abuse our immigration system face the strongest possible consequences. Â
“No longer will employers be able to flout the rules with little consequence or exploit international workers for costs they were always supposed to pay if they choose not to recruit domestically. Â
Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, said:
“Worker exploitation is completely unacceptable. Shamefully, these practices have been seen particularly in our care sector, where workers coming to the UK to support our health and social care service have all too often found themselves plunged into unjustifiable insecurity and debt. This can, and must, end.”
The crackdown will also protect vulnerable workers from exploitation, prohibiting unprincipled companies from engaging in the unethical practice of charging skilled workers for the cost of sponsorship. These costs, which can be passed onto workers at grossly inflated levels, has led to the exploitation and unfair treatment of staff, particularly within the care sector, in some cases burdened with unsustainable levels of debt to their employers, the government says. Â
International care workers are particularly vulnerable to abuse, with widespread concerns of exploitation in the sector. The Department of Health and Social Care has already been working closely with the Home Office to share concerns and intelligence on bad practices in the recruitment and employment of overseas care workers, and the measures announced today will further bolster the government’s action against exploitation.
Since July 2022, the government has revoked approximately 450 sponsor licences in the care sector. The government said work is ongoing, in collaboration with the care sector, to ensure high standards across the immigration system, and to support care workers into alternative jobs when their sponsor has had their licence removed.
Fifteen regional partnerships in England have received £16 million worth of funding to support them to prevent and respond to unethical international recruitment practices in the sector. This includes funding support for international care workers to understand their rights and establishing operational processes with regional partnerships to support individuals to switch employers and remain working in the care sector when they have been impacted by their sponsor’s licence being revoked.
