Surge in migrant care worker exploitation ‘tip of the iceberg’, warns RCN

The RCN called for an “urgent investigation” by the Home Office into the treatment of migrant care workers, after a significant rise in the number of people seeking advice and help from the union.

“The surge in exploitation cases being reported to the RCN is only the tip of the iceberg”

Nicola Ranger

Since the introduction of the Health and Care Visa in 2020, UK firms have recruited thousands of adult social care workers from overseas.

However, reports of these workers being mistreated have skyrocketed in recent years, with reports of modern slavery cases, racial abuse, scams and financial exploitation.

The RCN, which represents nurses and non-registered nursing staff in the sector, revealed today that its advice team received 134 calls from concerned members about repayment clauses in 2023-24.

This figure represented a big increase from 22 in 2020-21, the financial year in which the visa was launched, according to the college.

The repayment clauses allow an employer to recover costs from a worker if they have failed to gain the “anticipated benefit” from them, according to the definition set out by the NHS Employers organisation.

However, the RCN claimed the clauses were being weaponised to “extort” low-paid migrant workers, which could potentially leave them unable to leave their job and stuck in “appalling” conditions.

It said one care worker was told they must pay £10,000 to leave their job, in which they had been suffering “severe bullying and harassment”, and no figure was ever specified in any contract to this end.

Another who contacted the union said they were informed by their employer that they owed £3,000 for “visa costs”, after resigning due to being assaulted and racially abused at work.

In light of today’s figures, RCN general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger called for a full investigation into the treatment of migrant care workers.

Professor Ranger said: “Rogue employers appear to be forcing migrants to pay thousands of pounds just to leave jobs and threatening them with deportation.

“Those who come to the UK to care for the vulnerable deserve so much better than this exploitation,” she said.

“Sadly, we know the surge in exploitation cases being reported to the RCN is only the tip of the iceberg.

“Migrant workers are routinely intimidated and left fearful of speaking out, even having their passports withheld. They are also much less likely to be members of trade unions.”

Professor Ranger’s demands follow a promise by home secretary Yvette Cooper to investigate the treatment of migrant adult social care workers during the election campaign.

This pledge included a “crackdown” on exploitation using a new employment rights enforcement body Labour pledged to set up during the general election.

Professor Ranger added: “The exploitation being allowed to spread is deeply inhumane and undermines the entire social care sector.

“Ministers were right to commit to an investigation during the election campaign and this must now happen with urgency,” she said. “Lives are being destroyed every day and this cannot wait.”

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.