At Right to Remain, we know that as a result of the beyond-Hostile Environment, and because of government initiatives such as the Nationality and Borders Act, the ban on working for people seeking asylum, and the Illegal Migration Act, our communities are increasingly finding themselves more vulnerable to exploitation. 

As a result, we have focused our approach to create Key Guides on the following topics over the next few months: exploitation, detention and destitution. We know that these are issues that will be affecting people across the system – whether they are seeking asylum, on another immigration track, or not on an immigration track at all. 

Our new Key Guide on Work Exploitation and Migrant Workers’ Rights is the first resource we have published in light of this. 

Work or labour exploitation is the abuse of a person in a workplace for profit (this means for money). It is helpful to think of work exploitation as more than just one example, because it can happen in many different ways.

On the page, you will find the following information: 

• What is work exploitation?
• Where does work exploitation take place?
• What can work exploitation look like? 
• How does having insecure immigration status increase a person’s risk of work exploitation?
  • Visa sponsorship system
  • Threat of immigration enforcement 
  • No Recourse to Public Funds
• What rights do I have as a migrant worker?
• What can I do if I am experiencing work exploitation?

This new guide comes in many languages. To read the guide in a different language use the Google Translate language bar at the top left hand of the page. 

You can also print out this guide using the PDF button. 

We hope that this guide will be helpful for our service users and wider community. Please do share it widely with those who would find it helpful. We have been encouraged by the feedback we have received on this new guide. Please feel free to send us any feedback (positive or constructive!). Our resources are only strengthened by input from our community.