Drastic Surge in Modern Slavery Calls Sparks Concern Among UK Care Sector

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In a concerning development, there has been a drastic surge in calls to a national helpline established for victims of modern slavery. An overwhelming number of these calls come from overseas workers brought over to the UK in an attempt to fill vacancies in the care sector following last year’s changes in visa regulations. They narrate their experiences of extravagant charges imposed by their intermediaries for travel and sponsorship to the UK.

Unseen UK, the charity organization running the helpline, witnessed over 700 care staff use its services in 2022. The charity strongly denounced the deplorable practice of offering employment to foreign care workers under false pretexts, also a stance staunchly upheld by the ministers.


According to the latest data provided by the charity, in 2021, the helpline received 15 cases related to modern slavery in the care sector, involving 63 potential victims. By 2022, this escalated to a staggering 106 cases entailing 708 potential victims. Unfortunately, these numbers have been on an upward trajectory in 2023. It’s alarming to note that almost 20% of potential victims of modern slavery identified in 2022 were from the care sector.

The nursery published on Monday alludes to the exploitation of some workers who are being charged up to £25,000 for their travel and sponsorship certifications. The actual cost of obtaining sponsorship, a few hundred pounds, is usually borne by most care companies. Nevertheless, a small fraction resort to underhanded measures, adding interest and directly cutting off the debt from the workers’ wages, entrapping them into an unending cycle of indebtedness.

Vignettes from victims such as Divya and Janet, provide a harrowing insight into the circumstances of these workers. Complaints include housing with multiple other employees, confiscation of passports, and grueling 18-hour shifts, with pitiful wages hardly enabling the purchase of basic provisions.

In February 2022, to manage an unprecedented 164,000 social-care vacancies in England, the government categorized care work as a “shortage” occupation, thereby recruiting a larger workforce from overseas. However, Andrew Wallis, Unseen’s chief executive cautions that this approach has given rise to rampant labor abuse and exploitation, with vulnerable individuals caring for other vulnerable individuals.

Moreover, due to certain companies failing to provide enough work for their staff, many foreign care workers are seeking employment at other care providers. Fears of deportation plague these workers if their experiences were to come to light.

Several concerns have been raised and stringent changes are being called for with the influx of new agencies in some areas. Ethical approaches to care should be enforced, exploitation should be combated vigorously, and visa licenses need stricter regulations. Poor pay and difficult working conditions must be improved to manage the social-care staffing crisis.

The government ensured that any illegal conduct would be held accountable, with violation potentially resulting in prosecution and/or removal from the sponsorship register. It asserts that overseas care workers should recieve fair pay and has promulgated a recruitment code of practice. Simultaneously, it maintains its adamant stance against illicit activities in the labor market.