Seismic shift needed in Britain's labour migration system, employment rights group says
A "SEISMIC shift” in Britain’s visa system is needed to protect all workers from “super-exploitation and abuse,” according to a new study by the Institute of Employment Rights (IER).
The current visa system for migrant employment, where employers “sponsor” migrant staff to come to Britain, “undermines, devalues and dehumanises” workers and should be replaced, the study found.
It calls to replace the sponsorship system with “a rights-based regime” that would include affordable visa charges, a shift away from short-term visas towards permanent migration, a mechanism for employers, unions and ministers to decide the rules and protections for migrant workers under the 2010 Equality Act...
Labour migration is not just necessary but a positive benefit to the economy and we need a regulatory regime that reflects that reality — and respects the humanity and contribution of workers who come to our shores, as well as those already here.Dr Dias-Abey, Study author, IER
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IER director Ben Sellers accused politicians and the media of generating “an increasingly hostile political environment” against migrant workers.
“The recommendations in the report are incredibly important, as they add a solid, regulatory framework to the moral arguments for a more humane migration system,” he said.