Every year, thousands of migrant workers travel to the UK to harvest fruit and vegetables under the Seasonal Worker visa scheme. Many arrive already in debt after paying up to £5,000 in recruitment fees, visas and travel costs.

Advocates warn that this debt—combined with visas that tie workers to a single employer—creates conditions that enable exploitation and, in some cases, trafficking. Yet despite years of warnings, the government has rejected key reforms designed to prevent abuse.

Debt and dependency fuel abuse

In July 2024, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published a detailed review of the visa scheme. It recommended guaranteeing at least two months’ pay to prevent workers from falling into debt, alongside higher wages and stronger enforcement to curb exploitation.

Research cited in the review found that some migrant workers described being treated “like slaves” by supervisors. Others reported threats of deportation or blacklisting when they raised concerns. One woman said colleagues sexually threatened her, and managers told her it would be easier to dismiss her than address the abuse.

Eleanor Lyons, the independent anti-slavery commissioner, said too many workers face exploitation while feeling unable to speak out because both their job and immigration status depend on a single recruiter. In an article by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Lyons urged:

The government must tackle these gaps decisively and ensure that workers’ and survivors’ voices are at the heart of its approach. Without these safeguards, harm will continue where it could and should be prevented.

When workers are tied to one employer, burdened by debt and fearful of deportation, their vulnerability deepens. These are the very conditions that can enable forced labor and trafficking.

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