Universities have been urged to be alert for human trafficking after suspected victims brought to Britain on student visas disappeared from their courses and were found working in exploitative conditions hundreds of miles away.
In a recent case, Indian students at the universities of Greenwich, Chester and Teesside stopped attending lectures shortly after arriving in the UK, according to a Gangmasters and Labor Abuse Authority (GLAA) report seen by the Observer.
They were later found in the care sector in Wales, living in squalid conditions with up to 12 people in a three-bedroom flat and working “up to 80 hours a week, sometimes in double shifts”, for “way below the minimum wage.
“[The students’] attendance at the university was low or non-existent and in some cases other people entered lectures instead of them to give the impression that they were attending,” the report said.
It comes after an Observer investigation revealed widespread labor exploitation in care homes across Britain, with workers from India, the Philippines and countries in Africa found to have been charged up to £18,000 in illegal recruitment fees staff, and in some cases were forced to work in conditions akin to debt servitude to repay money owed, with wages withheld and passports seized.
In these cases, many of the suspected victims came to the UK on legal skilled worker visas granted by the Home Office to help address shortages in the care sector.
The new evidence sheds light on other routes used by traffickers and rogue agents in response to increased demand for cheap workers amid worsening labor shortages in the UK.
An Observer investigation revealed labor exploitation in nursing homes involving workers from India, the Philippines and Africa. Photo: Paula Solloway/Alamy
In the case identified by the GLAA, it is understood the workers had just 16 hours of online training and in most cases were not subjected to criminal checks, raising concerns about potential risks to elderly and disabled residents. The care homes that employed them were reportedly unaware of their origins as they were given false information by the suspected exploiters, who ran a staffing agency.
In another case, students were found living in a property in Birmingham where their passports were confiscated and they were forced to work in exploitative conditions, according to Unseen UK, which runs a modern slavery hotline.
The students, who also came from India and reportedly spoke little English, were allegedly forced to work 24-hour shifts without breaks and were paid so little they could not afford to eat, according to the charity organization. The case has been handed over to the police.
Mary Ohlberg, research manager at Focus on Labor Exploitation, said the abuse of people on student visas was a growing concern in Britain due to labor shortages. “There are students who have been pressured into working in ways that do not fit their visa and that makes them really vulnerable to exploitation because the employer can tell them they will be reported to immigration authorities or lose their right to be in the country,” she said.
The findings led to calls for increased monitoring of student visas and warnings to universities to be vigilant, with the GLAA saying they must monitor student applications, attendance and fee payments to identify signs of modern slavery.
The University of Nottingham’s Law Lab, the world’s largest research group on modern slavery, has also described international student recruitment 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 he surveyed providing specific training to staff in pastoral roles. It has drawn up a plan to help universities tackle modern slavery, with recommendations including improved staff training and special taskforces.
International students are a key source of income for universities, with an estimated 605,130 in the UK in 2020-21 according to the Agency for Higher Education Statistics – with three quarters of them coming from outside the EU. The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that fees from international students make up around 17% of the sector’s total income.
Licensed universities can sponsor students to come to the UK provided they have an offer of a place on a course, and applicants are usually required to have enough money to support themselves and cover their fees and good English skills. Once they arrive in the UK, their sponsoring university is required to monitor their attendance, engagement 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 above and beyond what is officially required by the Home Office” to prevent student exploitation. Additional steps it recommends universities take to prevent abuse include introducing pre-application screening invitations to ensure applicant credibility and increased deposit requirements.
Teesside University said it took a “strict approach” to student safety and welfare. Attendance was monitored and there were channels for students to seek support.
A recent compliance check by the Home Office, which included an audit of the higher education assurance team, resulted in the university’s processes being deemed to meet the required standards, a spokesman said. The universities of Chester and Greenwich have been approached for comment.
The Home Office said: “Criminals who force people into modern slavery for commercial gain will be tracked down and brought to justice. We’ve given law enforcement the power and resources to take action when an exploit is discovered.
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