Migrant care staff charged thousands in illegal fees

Migrant workers who come to the UK to bolster the country's care system are having to share beds, sleep rough and are in some cases being charged more than £20,000 in illegal fees, according to research.

- Anna Bawden

A survey of more than 3,000 people who have come to the UK on health and care worker visas found that just under a quarter had paid fees to their employer or an intermediary upfront before travelling to the UK in return for the promise of a job.

More than 100 respondents, many of whom were from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia and other parts of Africa, as well as India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Brazil and Indonesia, paid between £5,000 and £20,000 in fees, and 50 paid more than £10,000. Five paid £20,000 or more.

Despite this, migrant care workers were often housed in overcrowded, substandard accommodation and faced appalling levels of racism, the research found. Nearly a quarter of those living in accommodation provided by their employer said they had to share a bedroom with other workers. One said 15 people were staying in a one-bedroom flat, and another was among nine in a three-bedroom property. Many struggled to pay their rent and bills and two said they had to sleep rough at times.