The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) has revealed that the abuse of the Health and Care Worker visa system by criminals is currently its top concern. The GLAA is a body that investigates worker exploitation in England and Wales. Sky News was informed by the authority that the visa system was being manipulated by criminals, leading to a regular influx of allegations around fraud and modern slavery.
Martin Plimmer, a Senior Investigating Officer at the GLAA, has stated that there are over 30 ongoing probes into care agencies that are operating unlawfully. He also made it clear that the full extent of the problem is yet to be understood by his organisation. Plimmer also emphasized that the care sector, due to its vulnerability to labour exploitation, has become the number one issue for the GLAA. He highlighted that the number of cases has increased significantly since February 2022 when the government added care workers to the country’s Shortage Occupation List. This decision allowed for overseas recruitment of carers, who now represent two-fifths of all skilled work visas.
Plimmer also drew attention to the establishment of companies across the UK with the sole aim of exploiting workers eager to come to the country. He described these individuals as ‘cash cows’ for the criminals who run businesses at a much lower cost due to underpayment of workers and excessive charging of fees.
Sky News has identified several victims of this illicit practice all over the country. The news outlet previously reported on human traffickers using the Skilled Worker Visa route and leaving foreign care workers in destitution, depending on food banks for survival. Some of these illegal recruiters operate in the UK, setting up fraudulent care agencies under false pretences.
One such victim, who chose to call herself ‘Mary’ for safety reasons, shared her experience of seeking work in the UK to support her ill husband and teenage son. She found an advertisement online for a care agency job in the North of England. After a successful interview with a director of the company via Zoom, she was asked to transfer £4,000, a fee that is illegal for recruiters to charge under UK law. In exchange, she was given a certificate of sponsorship, offering her 39 hours a week as a carer, which enabled her to obtain a Health and Care Worker visa. She used all her savings and borrowed money to pay the fee, hoping to provide a better life for her family back home.
Upon her arrival in England in July, she was informed by her recruiter that there was no job for her. Since then, she has been living in shared accommodation and surviving on a small food allowance, without a single day of the paid work she was promised. Mary explained that she feels trapped as her visa only allows her to work full-time for her sponsor.
Sky News has also spoken to several care homes who reported being inundated with calls from new care agencies offering their services. Neil Russell, who runs PJ Care, a company that offers legitimate Health and Care Worker visa sponsorship, shared his concerns about the increase in desperate approaches from new care agencies over the past six to eight months.
A spokesperson from the Home Office condemned the practice of offering Health and Care Worker visa holders employment under false pretences. The government is committed to investigating any allegations of illegal employment practices and taking necessary action against those found operating unlawfully.
