The Scheme Operators are already required to have a clear employer transfer pathway in place as a condition of holding their sponsor licence, including transparent criteria for making a transfer request and a process for considering such requests. The Scheme Operators must not normally refuse requests to change employers, and may only do so where there are significant reasons preventing a transfer, for example the imminent expiry of a workers visa. This is set out in published Home Office guidance, available at: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors: sponsor a seasonal worker - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

In the event that a scheme operator for the Seasonal Worker routes became unlicensed for any reason, the Home Office will consider each case on its own merits and tailor its response accordingly. Defra will, where appropriate, support the Home Office in delivering this response.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the Seasonal Worker route under close and ongoing review, including the welfare of participating overseas workers.

A key objective of the route is to ensure that migrant workers are protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses and the Home Office takes any allegations of mistreatment or abuse on this route extremely seriously.

The operators of the scheme are, and must remain, licensed by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

The Scheme Operators are responsible for managing all aspects of the recruitment and placement of workers on UK farms and ensuring their welfare in the UK.

The Home Office and Defra monitor the scheme closely to ensure operators adhere to the stringent requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the seasonal workers.

The Sponsor a Seasonal Worker guidance is kept under regular review and updated and published as required.

The Home Office does not publish data that would cover this request.

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery and through the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and has given law enforcement agencies the tools to tackle modern slavery, including maximum life sentences for perpetrators and enhanced protection for victims.

However, the Home Office does not routinely publish data on this matter.

UKVI Work Services have numerous functions which focus and respond to allegations of Worker Exploitation.

A bespoke Seasonal Agricultural Compliance team exists for the Farming Sector and for other issues, we have an Embassy Team function who engage with foreign missions on the matter.

Underpinning all of this is our Investigations team who translate compliance and safeguarding issues into tangible disruption activity. Where exploitation is identified, referrals are also made to other relevant functions to take forward such as the Police and National Referral Mechanism.

All visa holders are entitled to the same employment protections as resident workers. Nonetheless, the Skilled Worker route also includes a range of additional protections to ensure the welfare of migrant workers. These include minimum salary requirements to ensure workers receive a fair wage for the work they are sponsored to do, and an English language requirement which, as well as helping workers to integrate, ensures they are better able to understand their rights, protect themselves from exploitation and seek help where needed.

Sponsors of workers are monitored to ensure that workers are paid appropriately and not otherwise exploited. This includes regular checks with HMRC. Any discrepancies found or allegations of exploitation made are investigated and, if appropriate, action is taken against the sponsor.

At this stage, we will not set a target of labour market inspectors. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) is a regulatory, law enforcement and compliance body charged with preventing, detecting, and tackling labour exploitation across the UK. We work closely with all enforcement bodies, including the GLAA, to ensure the effectiveness and impact of their activities, regardless the number of labour market inspectors.

The Home Office are responsible for the resourcing of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA). We regularly assess funding of the GLAA.

The Director of Labour Market Enforcement has a statutory responsibility to assess the scale and nature of non-compliance in the labour market. Her 2022-23 strategy was recently published and sets out her assessment of the risks in the labour market and for vulnerable workers. Over the decade from 2010 to 2020 the UK funding to the labour market enforcement bodies (HMRC’s National Minimum Wage Team, Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority) has increased to over £35 Million representing a 121% increase in funding.

With reference to section 4.4.2 of Schedule 2 of the Asylum Accommodation and Support guidance the Home Office does not publish a breakdown of reports made under paragraph (a) 7.d and (b) 7.e These figures are not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.