FLEX experts call for domestic worker visa reform on International Workers' Day
Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX) experts have published an analysis highlighting ongoing issues with the UK's Overseas Domestic Worker visa on International Domestic Workers' Day 2025. The article examines changes made to the visa in 2012 and 2016, citing Kalayaan's 2024 data showing increased exploitation indicators after these reforms. The authors note the draft Employment Rights Bill does not address visa restrictions and call for reinstatement of rights contained in the original 1998 visa, which allowed workers to change employers and seek longer visa extensions than is currently the case. They also call for increased access to justice around employment rights, such as compensation for unpaid wages or other labour exploitation. The analysis draws on evidence showing that, eg, 41% of workers issued visas after April 2016 presented trafficking indicators.
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