Responding to the UK Government announcement that visa rules will now untie recognised victims of modern slavery from their specific employer, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said:

 

“Modern slavery is a shocking crime and it’s right that the government is starting to take action. The reality is these changes alone will leave most of the exploitation unaddressed, with some employers using a wider spectrum of exploitative practices that wouldn’t meet the very high threshold for modern slavery. Far too many employers will still be able to use the threat of withdrawal of visa sponsorship to act with impunity, including by altering contracts, reducing pay and hours, or extorting money.

 

“The government needs to be far bolder and untie all migrant health and care worker visas from employers, not just those who meet the category for modern slavery. Raising care standards means raising employment standards, but you can do neither while so many unscrupulous employers are able to hold so much power over dedicated migrant nursing staff.”