Bonded Labour in the UK?
Launch of the New Bonded Labour: New research reveals abuse and exploitation of migrant domestic workers in the UK
Campaign success: Home Office agrees to retain the domestic worker visa for two years.
Kate Wareing, Oxfam UK Poverty Director said: “This is great news. The domestic worker visa is a crucial protection for migrant domestic workers as it allows them to leave an abusive employer and get another job. It’s vital that the visa is retained beyond the two years promised by the Home Office today. We encourage the government to take further steps to protect domestic workers by increasing awareness about their rights among both domestic workers and the police, health service and other agencies who work with them.”
See press release (PDF)
Campaigning for retention of the domestic worker visa
Jenny was beaten by her employer in the UK for nearly three years. Eventually, she managed to escape from her employer’s house with the help of a neighbour.
Domestic workers like Jenny come to the UK with their rich employers, from countries such as India, Sri Lanka, or the Philippines. The majority of the workers are women. Most are exploited and badly treated by their employers; many are sexually and physically abused.
At the moment these workers come to the UK under a domestic worker visa. This gives them legal status as workers: they are protected by UK employment laws, and can leave an abusive employer and get another job in a private household if they need to.
What’s changing
The government is planning to abolish the domestic worker visa, and instead register migrant domestic workers as ‘visitors’. No longer workers, they will effectively be bonded labourers, many forced to work in conditions akin to slavery. Leaving an abusive situation to find another job will no longer be an option.
What is Oxfam doing?
Oxfam, Kalayaan, and other organisations working with migrant domestic workers are calling on the government to retain the domestic worker visa. It is a vital protection for an extremely vulnerable group of people.
“Oxfam believes it is completely unacceptable that people should work in conditions akin to bonded labour in 21st Century Britain.”
Kate Wareing, Director, UK Poverty, Oxfam GBWhat can I do?
You can read our report The New Bonded Labour? to find out more about the issue (PDF).
