Preventing exploitation in the shadow of Brexit: The risks of temporary migration programmes

September, 2018

The UK Government recently announced a new two-year pilot scheme to bring temporary migrant workers from outside the EU to work in the UK agricultural sector. How the pilot scheme is structured will have significant implications for the level of risk faced by migrant workers, ranging from labour abuses like unpaid overtime to the severe exploitation found in cases of forced labour and human trafficking.

This policy briefing highlights the risks of the Government’s proposed new temporary migration programme for the agricultural and horticultural sectors and future schemes like it, and outlines steps required to prevent labour abuse and exploitation after Brexit.