“Exploits: Seasonal workers deserve fair treatment”

…Since before its launch in 2019, human rights organisations have warned that the way the visa was designed was a perfect recipe for exploitation. The visa limits workers to a maximum six-month placement in the UK horticulture sector. They are also tied to their recruiters, who have the power to decide if and where they can get jobs. Furthermore, workers have to pay for their own flights and visas, meaning many arrive in the UK with huge debts they need to pay off…

Finding and speaking to these workers is not always easy. They live on the farms where they work and many are worried that they will face repercussions if they speak out…

…The people who spoke to us reported a litany of problems from not going to the toilet for fear of not hitting targets, to workers fainting on fields as they picked fruit during heatwaves…

Many were left in debt and destitution, and some left the UK being owed money by their employers…

…the accommodation they rented from farms was often in poor condition…

To date, most of these recommendations have not been taken onboard. Instead, the government continues to expand the scheme, while workers wait for a viable route to justice.