FLEX Warns UK Restrictive Visas Fuel Exploitation Despite Employment Rights Bill

The UK’s immigration policies, particularly UK restrictive visas, are under fire from the Flex network of anti-slavery organizations. Despite the government’s Employment Rights Bill promising enhanced worker protections like day-one unfair dismissal rights and stronger enforcement against exploitation, FLEX argues these reforms fall short. Misleading terms under the visa program confine migrant workers to abusive employment opportunities, which allows modern slavery to thrive as the enforcement of new legislation continues. In a recent report, FLEX highlights how tied visas exacerbate vulnerabilities for care workers, hospitality staff, and seasonal laborers, urging visa reforms alongside employment rights. This conflict highlights a discrepancy between legislative aspiration and practical protection. 

The Problem with UK Restrictive Visas

UK restrictive visas bind workers to single employers, creating power imbalances ripe for abuse. Migrant caregivers in the countries such as Nigeria and India are usually subjected to unpaid salaries, overworking, and even facing the threat of deportation in case they raise an issue. According to the data provided by FLEX, there are more than 1,000 possible cases of slavery associated with such visas alone in 2024. These measures aimed at reducing illegal migration are the unintentional contributors to exploitation due to restricted movement of jobs.

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Employment Rights Bill: Promises vs. Reality

The Employment Rights Bill, set for 2026 implementation, abolishes zero-hour contracts and boosts collective bargaining. Its advocates rejoice about it being a revolution of workers. But FLEX cautions it disregards visa relationships, the source of blackmail. Bills will not do much unless they decouple visas to employers, and 150,000+ overseas recruits will continue to be exposed every year. The introduction of new UK border regulations will enable the officers in ports to conduct more intrusive searches on the suspected migrants who are believed to have gotten into the country illegally.

FLEX’s Call for Urgent Reforms

FLEX requires “fire and rehire” prohibitions to visa freedoms to be able to change jobs without any loss of a sponsorship. They propose operating hotlines that are independent of reporting and increased licensing of recruiters. Policymakers must align the Employment Rights Bill with visa overhauls to dismantle exploitation networks.

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