Commenting on the publication of the draft Immigration Bill today, Focus on Labour Exploitation’s Caroline Robinson noted the importance of ensuring the proposed ‘Labour Market Enforcement Agency’ has labour rights at the forefront of its activities: 

“Measures that seek to better understand labour market enforcement needs are broadly welcome but the rights of workers who are routinely exploited in the UK must be central to their work.

“Enforcement of employment law in the UK is at desperate levels, creating the perfect conditions for modern slavery to take place. Strong efforts must now be made to monitor labour rights and penalise their infringement as the first line of defence against severe forms of exploitation in the UK.” 

Ends. 

Notes to Editors

1. Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX) works to end trafficking for labour exploitation. To achieve this FLEX promotes responses to trafficking for labour exploitation that are rights-based, victim-centred and founded on prevention rather than cure.

2. FLEX’s Working Paper on Preventing Trafficking for Labour Exploitation sets out measures required to effectively prevent labour exploitation in the UK, including strengthening labour inspection and enforcement.