Banyu (not his real name) lost his job in Bali at the beginning of the pandemic. So, when he heard of an organization recruiting workers for jobs abroad, he jumped at the opportunity. What began with a £550 English course soon turned into a complicated ordeal, trapping him and others in debt bondage of up to £5,000 owed to an unlicensed broker in Bali.

“I think about the debt”

The brokers initially told Banyu and his friends that the jobs would be in Australia, Canada, or New Zealand. However, after learning the jobs were in the U.K., the brokers flew them to Jakarta and billed them about £1,000 for a three-night stay. They also charged them for visas, flights, and various other fees, which totaled between £4,400 and £5,000.

On a video call, Banyu said to The Guardian:

“Now I’m working hard only to pay back that money,” … “Sometimes I get stressed. I cannot sleep sometimes. I have a family who need my support to eat. And meanwhile, I think about the debt.”

The job was to pick fruit at Clock House farm, which supplies strawberries, raspberries, and other soft fruit to supermarket chains. However, Banyu was only issued a six-month visa for the picking season. To make matters worse, Banyu struggled to pick fast enough, and he was on a zero-hours contract. According to the Guardian, the arrangement appeared to be contrary to the rules of his seasonal worker visa. It was only after The Guardian approached the farm that Banyu was given a 20-hour minimum weekly contract on hourly pay of £10.10.

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