Survivors of trafficking are regularly subjected to immigration detention and retraumatised.
Amid a legal aid crisis that's even worse in detention, they are trapped, with no way of getting desperately needed advice and support.
Read our briefing to understand more: labourexploitation.org/publications...
#IWD2026
It is on us to ensure that these women's experiences are not isolated, but understood and addressed at the highest levels.
For labour market enforcement on the route to be accessible to women workers in practice, we've outlined key principles for the Fair Work Agency to follow:
At the same time, there are specific issues that women on the Scheme experience.
From being the only women in cramped accommodation units, to reports of managers asking for sex from women workers, the stories women tell make clear how big a problem this is.
Gendered dynamics often mean that risks of exploitation faced by all workers are worse for women.
For example, when women on the Seasonal Worker Scheme were asked if they had ever been paid lower than promised, 27% said yes. 16% of men said the same. That isn't just a blip.
Last year, FLEX published Uneven Fields, a briefing on women on the Seasonal Worker Scheme.
Risks of labour exploitation, from debt bondage to unsafe living conditions, can be heightened by gendered dynamics for women workers on the scheme.
#IWD2026
The Right to work is very different to cutting support from people seeking asylum. People seeking safety who are ready to work need support and options. Keeping people temporary while mandating work or destitution will drive exploitation.
See the #LiftTheBan statement @asylummatters.bsky.social
Senior Policy Officer, Dr Sophie Cartwright, has written for @bordercrim.bsky.social about access to legal advice in detention.
JRS UK's research last year highlighted how difficult it was for people in immigration detention to access any legal support.
📖Read more: www.jrsuk.net/accessing-le...
@jrsuk.bsky.social @lawrsuk.bsky.social @unseenuk.bsky.social Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group; Hibiscus; Snowdrop Project
Thanks to @medicaljustice.org.uk @afterexploitation.bsky.social @antislavery.org @atleu.bsky.social @aviddetention.bsky.social @biddetention.bsky.social @beyonddetention.bsky.social @detentionaction.bsky.social @duncanlewiss.bsky.social @ecpatuk.bsky.social @helenbamber.bsky.social
The Detention Taskforce's new briefing, "Barriers to Disclosure", looks at the experiences of trafficking survivors' going through the immigration system.
Rather than blaming victims, we must address the barriers that prevent disclosure.
Read the briefing: labourexploitation.org/publications...
Some in Government insist that modern slavery claims are being used to get in the way of deportation attempts.
This narrative misses that in fact, claims of experiencing modern slavery are met with huge barriers in immigration detention.
These changes will make it harder for people to plan for the future, who become ill or pregnant, or to feel safe in the UK.
This is not just failing people seeking safety through no fault of their own; it will drive risks of exploitation and further entrench a tiered workforce in the UK.
It is well evidenced that short-term immigration status makes it harder to secure work and to challenge poor conditions of work.
For more on that, read our Blueprint for safer and fairer migration for low-paid work: labourexploitation.org/publications...
Today's announcement that, after today, people seeking asylum in the UK will be kept in long-term limbo creates unreasonable hurdles against integration and recovery for people who have already lost so much.
It’s always brilliant to work with @voiceofdws.bsky.social & these recommendations for the Fair Work Agency are positive & practical & will help make sure the agency is relevant to & trusted by migrant domestic workers
Migrant domestic workers have faced tough conditions and worsening support from successive governments. The Fair Work Agency has the chance to fix that.
In a briefing for the FWA made alongside Voice of Domestic Workers, we detail what domestic workers need: labourexploitation.org/publications...
In a guest blog, Kookie Gutierrez reflects on the challenges faced when engaging with Filipino migrant fishers and their experiences on UK vessels.
These difficulties might be hard to overcome, but present the very reason why this work is so important.
Read our latest report on fishing, including our policy recommendations, here: labourexploitation.org/publications...
This latest development grows the gathering storm in UK fishing.
That’s why FLEX has been calling for urgent action to address the situation of migrant fishers on UK flagged vessels, from a Fishing Worker Visa to equipping the new Fair Work Agency to address these issues.
This is significant news, given that the vast majority - reportedly 70% - of such trawlers are crewed by migrant workers. These workers face poor and dangerous working conditions, alongside low wages and limited-to-no labour market enforcement.
www.irishnews.com/news/norther...
With Valentine's Day approaching, we are shining a light on how visa systems strip away the right to family life from migrant workers, effectively commodifying people.
Migrant workers deserve the same right to enjoy love and family life as anyone else.
labourexploitation.org/news/valenti...
Read more: www.blackcurrentnews.co.uk/p/exclusive-...
www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/...
Subscribe to our newsletter to follow our work: mailchi.mp/fcb3b8c1221c...
Clear paths to challenge abuse, dependency-free visas, proper labour market enforcement: these are all anti-racist workers' rights proposals.
Race equality, migrant rights and workers rights are not different areas: they are one and the same.
Many migrant workers, such as domestic or farm workers, are dependent on their employers for visa sponsorship.
For the many workers facing exploitation or racism, challenging abuse involves huge risk, as the employer could retaliate in a way that gets them deported.
In a survey conducted by Unite last month, 45% had been exploited due to their migrant status. 46% of respondents had experienced racism, discrimination or unfair treatment while working in the UK.
Of those, 47% had received racist abuse from their employer or manager. This raises particular alarm.
The recent ruling in favour of Great Ormond Street workers shows this. There, outsourced workers were transferred to in-house contracts, but were not given the standard terms and conditions.
The fact that the vast majority of these workers are Black, Brown and/or migrants is not incidental.
For #RaceEqualityWeek2026, we highlight that workers’ rights are an inherently racialised issue.
Structural racism pushes Black, Brown and migrant people into a higher likelihood of low-pay, high-risk work.
For migrants who have been scammed into these visas, the upcoming Fair Work Agency must ensure that there is support via bridging visas, to transition them into stable visas without dependency on the whims of a company.
There must also be ways to report issues without risk of deportation.
