Hundreds of migrant care workers rallied in Parliament Square on 17 June to demand fair visas now. The Unison-organised campaign aims to win MPs to call for an end to the appalling conditions faced by migrant care workers. Every union must support this campaign—and spread it.
Migrants came to Britain on the promise that they could apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after five years. This prospect has been ripped from them by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Now they have to wait at least 15 years, during which time their right to live and work in the UK is determined by the employer who holds their certificate of sponsorship (COS).
If they take a day off sick, go on strike, or simply fall foul of the boss’s whim, their COS can be ripped up—leaving them 60 days to find a new job, which is far from easy, before deportation orders are issued. Employers regularly charge migrants up to £20,000 for a COS that costs the boss just £1,500. Some ‘companies’ are mere shells: migrants arrive to find no job at all, and just two months to find another—or face removal.
This is modern-day slavery by another name. In the 17th century, indentured servants were typically granted their freedom after seven years. The Labour government in the 21st century has more than doubled that.
Even if they obtain ILR status, it can be stripped at any time, while migrants are forbidden from bringing their spouses to the UK, denying them any family life. If their job is scrubbed from the Temporary Shortage List, they too can be deported. Despite paying tax and National Insurance, they have no recourse to public funds. Sacked migrants cannot use unfair dismissal law or the Equality Act to protect themselves.
All trade unions and Labour MPs must campaign loudly for fair visas, an end to the sponsorship racket, and full rights for every worker regardless of status. An injury to one is an injury to all—and the labour movement cannot leave migrant workers to fight alone.
