UK Addresses Issue of Employers Seizing Passports of Workers, Shares What Employees Should Do
- UK Visas & Immigration listed six warning signs that a worker may be experiencing modern slavery or exploitation
- One of the red flags flagged by the UK government includes surrendering your passport and depending entirely on your employer for travel
- The UK government also directed workers on how and where to report any instance of slavery or exploitation they witness or experience
The UK government's official immigration account has issued a stark warning to workers in Britain.
The UK Visa & Immigration official published a list of six red flags that could indicate a person is being exploited or held in modern slavery conditions.
Source: UGC
UK warns employers collecting employees' passport
The following are the red flags people eligible to work in the UK should watch for:
- Receiving little or no payment for work.
- Having untreated injuries.
- Working excessive hours without breaks.
- Having excessive or unreasonable deductions from your pay.
- Being forced to accept substandard accommodation from your employer or having no genuine choice about your living arrangements.
- Accruing debts for unwanted services, surrendering your passport and depending entirely on your employer for work, travel and accommodation.
The final point is particularly significant for migrant workers. Passport retention by an employer is widely recognised as a tool of coercion and control, effectively trapping workers in situations they cannot easily leave.
How to report modern slavery in the UK
The UK government directed anyone who witnesses or suspects an instance of slavery to file a report through modernslaveryhelpline
According to the post, it is happening inside the United Kingdom today, and recognising the warning signs is the first line of defence for any worker.
See the original UK Visas & Immigration post that sparked the awareness campaign:
Cost breakdown for UK citizenship
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the United Kingdom (UK) government has released the specific fee structure and eligibility criteria for foreign nationals seeking British citizenship.
According to the official announcement, the total mandatory application and ceremony cost has been revised for applicants.
Source: Legit.ng
