In 2022,
Britain launched a visa scheme to encourage migrant workers to bolster its
ailing care sector. About 150,000 have arrived from countries including India,
Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
But reports of
exploitation have soared.
The government
has since banned hundreds of companies from sponsoring migrant workers - but
this has left carers they had already hired jobless and terrified of
deportation.
Zola, a
45-year-old Zimbabwean care worker, was recruited by a firm in the northern
city of Leeds in 2023 but is now £10,000 ($13,500) in debt.
She told her
story to Context but asked to use a pseudonym for fear of repercussions.
The way we've
been treated is outrageous. We were encouraged to come here to contribute our
skills, but the jobs never materialised and now we're trapped in debt.
We came here in
good faith, but other people have used us to fatten their own pockets. Revoking
these companies' licences is not enough. They need to be held accountable, and
so does the government.
The first shock
when I arrived was the accommodation. They promised us housing, but the
property was crammed with people and under renovation. There were bed bugs,
there was no heating and we had to use a bucket to wash ourselves.
I thought I'd
start work immediately, but they kept saying they were losing clients and
didn't have shifts.
I think they
had hired about 100 of us because we were all in a large WhatsApp group. My
annual salary was supposed to be £20,480, but I only received a few shifts and
was paid £930 in total in all the time I was with the company.
We were caring
for people in their own homes. Shifts started early and finished at 10 at
night, but they only paid for the time you spent in clients' homes, not the
time you were on call.
By October, it
was very cold outside and we had nowhere to go between appointments so I'd
spend hours riding around and around the city on buses just to stay warm.
If the carers
complained about anything, the managers would threaten to remove them from the
rota or report them to the Home Office. Everyone was afraid of losing their
visa and getting deported. There were constant threats.
Then last year
the company lost its sponsor licence so I have to find a new sponsor.
The emotional
and financial strain has affected me very badly mentally, especially as my
children are still in Harare.
When I applied
for my visa, the government said carers could bring their children. I was
hoping my children would join me once I got established, but that never
happened.
Now I dread
calls from home - I took the job hoping to create a better life for my
children, but I can't even provide them with the basics, which breaks my heart.
Sometimes my daughter is crying because she misses me. It's gut-wrenching.
Back in
Zimbabwe, I was working as a sales rep for a farm, but they were struggling to
keep afloat. I'm a single mum with three kids so I needed to find something
else.
My sister told
me the UK was looking for care workers so I quit my job and did a Red Cross
course and a work placement to get experience.
I heard about a
company that would sponsor me for £5,000. It seemed expensive, but some people
were paying £10,000. I only discovered later it was illegal to charge these
fees.
I borrowed
money from friends and relatives and my kids moved in with my mum. There were
other expenses for things like an English test, police background check, my
visa and flight, so altogether I paid about £7,000.
But I've had to
borrow even more money since coming here just to survive. I've had to use food
banks or ask for groceries from the church. A friend of my sister has given me
a place to sleep.
It's very
difficult to find a new sponsor because companies providing home care ask for a
driving licence. Another problem is they often want six months' experience, but
some carers lost their jobs soon after arriving here.
The government
is partly to blame because they allowed these companies to sponsor a lot of
people without doing background checks to see if they had enough work for
everyone.
So yes, the
government should be held accountable. I came here through the proper channels,
I did everything they asked, and now I'm treated like someone who came through
the back door.
I've thought
about going back to Zimbabwe so many times, but then I remember how much I owe
everyone. I'm just hoping there's light at the end of the tunnel.
(Reporting by
Emma Batha; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa.)
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