Labour Shortage

How seasonal farm migrants to UK got caught in a debt trap
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How seasonal farm migrants to UK got caught in a debt trap

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Migrant workers pick apples at a famr in Suckley, Britain, in October 2016. | Reuters When Raj heard British farmers were hiring seasonal workers from Nepal last year, he jumped at the chance to earn what he thought would be a sizeable income for his family. Having already worked in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, the…

Investors warn food companies about risk of forced labour on UK farms | Financial Times
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Investors warn food companies about risk of forced labour on UK farms | Financial Times

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Investors with £800bn in assets have called on food retailers and the UK government to eliminate risks of debt bondage and forced labour on UK farms, as concerns build that the country’s immigration system is exposing migrant workers to abuse. Asset managers including Schroders, Sarasin & Partners and Quilter Cheviot have warned that the UK…

Investors tell supermarkets to tackle increasing risk of modern slavery on UK farms
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Investors tell supermarkets to tackle increasing risk of modern slavery on UK farms

ByEyes on Trafficking News

A group of investors with more than £800bn in assets across UK-listed retail, hospitality and food production businesses have called on supermarkets and the government to tackle risks of modern slavery on British farms, amid concerns the post-Brexit immigration system is exposing seasonal workers to potential exploitation. Asset managers are calling on the likes of…

Resist calls for new visa routes for migrant workers, advisory body urges UK
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Resist calls for new visa routes for migrant workers, advisory body urges UK

ByEyes on Trafficking News

Ministers should resist calls from employers to open new visa routes that could expose migrant workers to exploitation, the UK government’s Migration Advisory Committee said on Tuesday. Business leaders have been pressing the government to help them tackle labour shortages in sectors ranging from agriculture and food processing to construction and logistics by allowing them…

The other Albanian migrant crisis
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The other Albanian migrant crisis

ByEyes on Trafficking News

All of this poses a puzzle: if legal emigration to other destinations is a possibility, why is there such desperation to reach the UK? And why now? One explanation relates to chain migration and the UK’s labour shortages. The UK hosts a large diaspora from Albania’s poorest region, Kukes County. That attracts relatives and acquaintances…