voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
Assessment of the Risks of Human Trafficking for Forced Labour on the UK Seasonal Workers Pilot
Created: 25/03/2021Fife Migrants Forum is pleased to have partnered with Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX) in authoring an investigation into the UK Government's Seasonal Workers' Pilot (SWP), the process for operating it and, subsequently, the living and working conditions experienced by the workers recruited to work on farms in East Scotland. The SWP has been introduced to explore means to help mitigate the impact of Brexit on the UK agricultural sector losing access to EU workers.
Fife Migrants Forum is a human rights-focussed agency working with large numbers of migrants from over the world who whose to live in the east of Scotland, mostly in Fife. They work to assist integration and cohesion within communities and particularly to achieve this through access to opportunity, to work, study and contribute through their efforts to their new communities.
The joint Fife Migrants Forum - FLEX report can be found by clicking here.
The research behind "Assessment of the Risks of Human Trafficking for Forced Labour on the UK Seasonal Workers Pilot" was carried out over 2020-2021 into the risk of human trafficking for forced labour. The report has highlighted serious human rights concerns and makes recommendations to address them.
Iryna Petkevica, Fife Migrants Forum Preventing Human Trafficking Caseworker, has also written an article on Scottish agriculture from her perspective as a former seasonal worker. You can read this by clicking here.
Commenting on the publication of this report, Billy Lynch, Interim Manager, stated: "Throughout the term of the research, I became increasingly concerned about the infringements experienced by workers and the desperate situations they found themselves within. My concern has turned to both shame and anger. People from other countries, due to their experience of this pilot, view Scotland in a very poor light, where some even can feel like slaves. I'm angry that in 2021 we can still ride roughshod over basic human rights."
For any queries, contact [email protected]. Or find them on Twitter @FifeMigrants.