A new report published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has claimed some migrants are still working under threatening and inhumane conditions for little or no pay in parts of the UK food industry.

Writers of the report Experiences of Forced Labour in the UK Food Industry alleged that many workers had paid fees to agents to get to the UK and obtain work and were then isolated, unaware of their rights and trapped in debt.

Sam Scott, one of the report’s authors, said: “Most of the migrants we spoke to in this research are in the UK legally, but their employment conditions are far from legal. Withholding payment, illegal deductions from wages and no proper breaks are all regular occurrences.”

The study recommends continued government support for the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority and possible strengthening of its power as well as increased monitoring on the part of food retailers and suppliers of their supply chains. The full report contains in-depth interviews with 62 migrant workers.

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