The prohibition of slavery is not locally real. International anti-slavery instruments have created an illusion of abolition.
Homegrown slavery - state-sponsored trafficking and slave trade by proxy?
Every year, the Home Office approves new skilled jobs on the shortage occupation list and grants visa sponsorship licences to thousands of employers. While the Home Secretary is blaming us – migrants - for allegedly gaming the modern slavery system, her department allows recruitment collaboration (employers, recruitment agencies and some immigration law firms) to traffic us through so-called safe and legal migration routes for slavery in various industries, including health care and farming. Immigration Rules allow UK employers to pay us lower salaries than our non-migrant colleagues. If we blow the whistle about our working conditions or health and safety issues, the Home Office withdraws our right to work and deports us. This is trafficking sponsored by the state through legal immigration routes. It is time to end state-sponsored Trafficking.
State's role and responsibility for the conduct of sponsored employers
Awards
The Community integration Awards
"Judges were impressed by Migrants At Work's impact and achievements, especially with a very small budget. The organisation is filling a pressing gap in access to information and rights-based support, at a time when Trade Unions are facing a tremendous amount of pressure. The Community Integration Awards commends Migrants At Work's inclusive and dynamic response to Covid-19, adapting the project to respond to pressing needs on the ground. In the context of more migrants and BAME workers being driven into exploitation, working at the forefront of the pandemic and at great risk, this work becomes only more important."(Community Integration Awards judges,2021)
Awards
Human Trafficking Foundation's Anti-Slavey Day Awards
[t]Your work to tackle the exploitation and discrimination faced by migrant workers, and your efforts to raise awareness of these issues, is exemplary and has been recognised by the judging panel as outstanding. ( Brian Marsh OBE, Chairman)
Who are we working with
GLAA- Birmingham City University, Coventry University, United Nations Global Compact Uk, ATLEU, Citizen Advice Liverpool, Migrants' Right Network, Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Human Trafficking Foundation, EU delgeation to the UK, Manchester University, Refugee Action...and many more