In 2019, the Government launched seasonal workers’ visas to fill the worker shortages in the agricultural sector. Since then, the scheme has raised concerns amongst civil society organisations, and over the years, there have been widespread reports of exploitation and poor work conditions that migrant workers face.
Despite some changes to the scheme in early 2023, the risk of exploitation remains high, and the Government has failed to address structural issues in the UK labour market, including following recommendations from its own Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published in July 2024.
Many organisations, including Anti-Slavery International, have been deeply concerned that, despite recommendations from its own immigration advisers, the UK Government is not taking action to safeguard farmworkers, many of whom are migrant workers coming to the UK through the seasonal worker visa.
Issues with the seasonal worker visa
Migrant workers play an important role in holding up the agriculture industry and ensuring that fruits and vegetables are stocked in UK supermarkets. But the visa scheme, which ties workers to a particular employer through the sponsorship model, is highly restrictive and can give employers unchecked power over workers.
Every year, thousands of workers come to the UK on temporary visas, which last up to six months. The scheme allows migrants to work for the companies that sponsor their visas, but under it, they are not allowed to work second jobs or jobs outside of the scope of the sponsorship.
There is also evidence that shows that migrant workers often take on large debts, with some reaching several thousand pounds, including the cost of the visa and high travel costs in order to get to the UK.
Taken together, the risk of exploitation in debt bondage and forced labour is extremely high. When workers are tied to their employers and unable to seek work elsewhere, it makes it difficult to escape situations in which they face poor working conditions or unpaid wages. It also incentivises unscrupulous employers to exploit workers’ debts and their immigration status to prevent workers from challenging their employers and seeking support, as they might not be able to afford to be out of work.
Government inaction
In January 2026, the UK Government responded to the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) review of the seasonal worker scheme.
The MAC’s recommendations included:
- Allowing a more flexible visa that reduces the time workers have to wait before returning to the UK for work to help secure income stability for workers and remove inefficiencies in hiring
- Guaranteeing at least two months’ pay to help prevent workers from falling into debt
- Increasing workers’ wages to help prevent exploitation
In response to the recommendation on the flexibility of the visa, the Government admitted that current immigration rules would make it too difficult to go as far as the MAC recommends.
The UK Government has recognised that the Employer Pays Principle (also recommended by MAC) is a better way to prevent debt than the two months’ pay recommendation. However, Defra minister Angela Eagle has confirmed that the Government have ‘no plans to implement it in the horticulture sector’.
The Government also had no response to the recommendation to increase workers’ wages, despite the MAC’s findings that suggest that wages for migrant workers on the seasonal worker visa are lower than the UK average.
Anti-Slavery International: ‘What we want to see’
Everyone should be able to access safe and secure work. And there are practical steps that the UK Government must take on board to ensure that migrant workers are protected from exploitation.
As a first step, the Government should mandate the implementation of the Employer Pays Principle, under which all recruitment costs are borne by employers, a solution the Government acknowledges is workable for reducing worker debt.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) provide clear international principles and guidelines establishing that workers’ flights and visas are costs associated with their recruitment, and must be assumed by employers, not workers. The Employer Pays Principle aligns with that and would help prevent debt-bondage.
The Home Office must also reform the seasonal worker scheme. The UK’s hostile approach to immigration is creating conditions ripe for trafficking and forced labour to take place. It must urgently put measures in place to ensure all workers can enjoy decent working conditions and that visas are not left open to abuse.
We must have a well-resourced Fair Work Agency – the enforcement body for employment rights – so it can proactively investigate abuses under the seasonal worker scheme.
And ultimately, the UK Government must urgently create laws that compel all companies to be responsible for the protection of workers’ rights within their supply chains.
So far, businesses along the agriculture supply chain are being left to address the risks of debt bondage and forced labour voluntarily, and this has proven ineffective as an accountability tool.
Anti-Slavery International has advocated for years for stronger corporate accountability laws like a Business, Human Rights and Environment Act, that would oblige companies to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence in their supply chains, and remedy any harm, rather than the reporting requirement currently in place.
We urge the UK Government to back the calls from experts and people affected by the seasonal worker visa and commit to safeguarding workers’ welfare and interests through action, not just in principle.
About the author
Patricia Carrier is the business and human rights manager at Anti-Slavery International.
