Unison is urging the government to intervene to stop migrant care staff being exploited by rogue employers.
The union made the call after its latest research found that many care workers are being forced to sleep rough or share beds with colleagues, as well as pay thousands in illegal fees.
Its Caring at a Cost report showed some paid intermediaries £20,000 or more to secure a job before they even arrived in the country, but were then housed in inadequate or overcrowded accommodation and also experienced racial abuse at work.
According to Unison, the government should take over sponsorship of migrant care staff from employers. It insists the current process – which involves care firms sponsoring migrant workers who can then apply for a visa – enables the abuse of power by unethical businesses.
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The report is based on survey findings carried out with more than 3,000 people who have entered the UK on health and care worker visas.
It found that 15% had paid money to an employer and 9% to a recruiter or agency in advance of their arrival.
The union has also warned that whistleblowers, who call out poor practices or mistreatment at work, are often threatened with deportation and are therefore more vulnerable.
It highlighted that overseas workers are also at risk of being deported if they can’t secure a new sponsor within 60 days of a care company going bust.
Fees, deductions and pay
Workers from countries including Zimbabwe, India and the Philippines responded to the survey, with many admitting they paid fees of more than £10,000 to secure shifts in residential care, private homes and other areas of adult social care. However, in some cases, the work never materialised.
Among those who paid fees before arriving in the UK, recruitment was cited as the main reason by 70%, followed by visas, flights, administration, training and accommodation.
Nearly two in five (18%) had money deducted from their salary by their employer since their arrival, with the reasons for the deductions including administration fees, uniforms, cars, loans, training, hotel rooms, and airport pick-ups. A minority of 4% had paid to be released from their employment contract, despite the illegality of doing so.
Around three in 10 (31%) of those surveyed also experienced pay-related problems, such as not receiving sick pay or pay for travelling time between visits. Others were paid late by employers or had wages deducted without good reason.
More than one in four (27%) were paid less than the legal minimum hourly rate of £11.44, with 13% of respondents receiving a wage below that of non-overseas colleagues.
As many as three in four (75%) of those impacted said they didn’t have enough money, with nearly three in five (57%) unable to pay their bills.
Some had to borrow cash so they could travel to work, while others had to skip meals and miss rent payments.
Living and working conditions
The report further uncovered the living conditions of some migrant workers, with three in ten (31%) being given accommodation, but nearly one in ten (9%) saying it was either poor or in a very poor state. Almost one in four (24%) of workers living in employer-provided accommodation shared a bedroom with colleagues.
Nearly half (46%) experienced racism at work, which included verbal and physical abuse, and more than one in three (36%) said they or a migrant worker colleague had been threatened with dismissal or redundancy for challenging their treatment at work.
In light of the findings, Unison has warned that mistreated, poorly paid and overworked individuals are likely to leave the sector and increase vacancies and unlikely to be providing high-quality care.
Commenting on the report, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “These shocking findings highlight widespread exploitation of migrant care workers. They underline the urgent need for reform with a national care service and fair pay agreement in social care.
“Only when wages rise with the promised fair pay agreement will the care sector be in a better position to recruit and hold on to the growing number of workers needed to deliver quality care to an ageing population.”
Highlighting that care staff who come from overseas are helping fill vacancies in the sector, she said they should be treated with respect without being taken advantage of and abused.
McAnea added: “No one deserves to be treated in this despicable way. Some workers are effectively being employed as indentured labour. This is not only immoral but also illegal. They’ve come to the UK in the expectation of getting work and training, but instead many are forced to exist on the breadline.
“The government must overhaul the sponsorship system as a matter of urgency. This would help prevent exploitation and drive up standards across the care sector.”
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