Universities have been urged to be on high alert for human trafficking after alleged victims brought to Britain on student visas disappeared from their courses and found themselves working in operating conditions hundreds of miles away.
In a recent case, Indian students at the universities of Greenwich, Chester and Teesside stopped attending conferences shortly after arriving in the UK, according to a report by the Gangmasters and Labor Abuse Authority (GLAA) seen by the Observer .
They later found themselves in the care sector in Wales, where they lived in miserable conditions with up to 12 people in a three-bed flat, and worked “up to 80 hours a week, sometimes in double shifts”. way “. below ”the minimum wage.
“[The students’] university attendance was low or non-existent and in some cases other people were initiated into conferences to give the impression that they were attending, ”the report says.
It comes after an Observer investigation uncovered widespread labor exploitation in care homes across the UK, with workers from India, the Philippines and African countries earning up to £ 18,000 in childcare rates. illegal hiring and, in some cases, forced to work in conditions. similar to debt bondage to pay money owed, with their wages intercepted and passports withheld.
In these cases, many of the alleged victims had come to Britain with legitimate skilled worker visas presented by the Home Office to help cover the shortage in the healthcare sector.
New evidence illuminates other routes exploited by traffickers and rogue agents in response to rising demand for cheap workers amid worsening labor shortages in the UK.
An Observer investigation discovered labor exploitation in care homes involving workers from India, the Philippines, and Africa. Photography: Paula Solloway / Alamy
In the case identified by the GLAA, it is understood that the workers had only had 16 hours of online training and in most cases had not undergone criminal background checks, which raised concerns about possible risks. for the elderly and residents with disabilities. According to reports, the residences that hired them were unaware of their backgrounds because the alleged exploiters provided them with false information, which they ran a personnel agency.
In another case, students were found living on a Birmingham property where their passports had been confiscated and forced to work in operating conditions, according to Unseen UK, which runs a modern slavery helpline. .
According to the charity, the students, who also came from India and are said to speak little English, were forced to work 24-hour shifts without breaks and were paid so little that they could not afford the luxury of food. The case was taken to the police.
Meri Åhlberg, research manager at Focus on Labor Exploitation, said the abuse of people with student visas was a growing concern in Britain due to labor shortages. “There have been students who have been pressured to work in a way that does not comply with their visa and this makes them really vulnerable to exploitation because their employer can tell them that they will be reported to the immigration authorities or they will lose their right to be in the country, “he said.
The findings have led to calls for increased control of student visas and warnings for universities to be on alert, with the GLAA saying they should monitor student applications, attendance and payment of fees for identify signs of modern slavery.
The Law Laboratory at the University of Nottingham, the world’s largest group of modern slavery researchers, has also described the recruitment of international students as a high-risk area at British universities. and warned in a recent report on campuses that student visas could be used to facilitate human trafficking.
Despite the increased risks, he said there was limited recognition of vulnerable students, with only 7.7% of universities surveyed offering specific training to staff in pastoral roles. He has drawn up a plan to help universities deal with modern slavery, with recommendations that include better staff training and dedicated working groups.
International students are a key source of income for universities, with an estimated 605,130 in the UK in 2020-21, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, with three-quarters of them coming from outside of the EU. The Institute of Fiscal Studies estimates that international student fees account for about 17% of total sector income.
Licensed universities can sponsor students to come to the UK as long as they have an offer of a place in a course, with applicants generally required to have enough money to stay and cover their fees and good knowledge of English. Upon arrival in the UK, the university sponsoring them must monitor their attendance, commitment and absences.
Universities UK, which represents 140 universities, said there were very low levels of abuse in the student system and that many of its members “go beyond what is formally required by the Home Office” to prevent students are exploited. Additional steps recommended by universities to take to prevent abuse include the introduction of pre-application selection calls to ensure the credibility of applicants and an increase in filing requirements.
Teesside University said it took a “rigorous approach” to the safety and well-being of students. Attendance was tracked and there were channels for students to seek support.
A recent Interior Ministry compliance inspection, which involved an audit of the higher education assurance team, led to the university’s processes being considered compatible with the necessary standards, a spokesman said. . The universities of Chester and Greenwich were contacted for comment.
The Interior Ministry said: “Criminals who force people into modern slavery for commercial gain will be located and brought to justice. We have given law enforcement the powers and resources to act when is exploitation.