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The number of foreign workers seeking help over claims of exploitation, bullying, underpayment, and poor living conditions on UK farms has significantly increased, the BBC has learned.
Nearly 700 foreign seasonal agricultural laborers complained to the Worker Support Centre (WSC) charity in 2024 that they were being treated unfairly by farmers who had brought them over to work, compared to just over 400 in 2023.
One former fruit picker told the BBC that more must be done to protect migrants from being treated like slaves.
The UK government said it always took “decisive action” if abusive practices were found on farms.
The government’s seasonal worker scheme for agriculture will see 45,000 visas made available this year.
Bolivian Julia Quecano Casimiro came to the UK on a seasonal worker visa to pick cherries for Haygrove, a Herefordshire-based farm business.
Ms Casimiro is currently taking the company to an employment tribunal over claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination, and underpayment of wages, and now campaigns for better protection for seasonal farm workers.
In an initial ruling, the Home Office found there were reasonable grounds to believe that Ms Casimiro could have been a victim of modern slavery.
She told the BBC she feared the true scale of exploitation of workers was a “hidden problem,” adding: “Many seasonal workers continue to have their rights violated at this very moment. What is happening is very serious because we don’t have access to any assistance or support. If the UK government does not take action to stop what is happening, there will continue to be more victims of modern slavery.”
The government said its staff had visited 318 farms and carried out more than 2,100 worker interviews, with improvements made every year to stop exploitation and poor working conditions.
The National Farmers’ Union said overseas workers were “invaluable” to British farmers, who “take employee welfare extremely seriously and are continually adapting the way they operate to provide the best experience for workers.”
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