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Immigration Controls: Migrant Workers

Asked by Anneliese DoddsLabour (Co-op)Home OfficeTabled Answered 1 December 2025UIN 93416

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Border Forces provides guidance on (a) working rights and (b) avoiding exploitation to people arriving on work visas at UK ports.

Answered by Mike Tapp

Border Force officers receive specialised training to identify signs of potential exploitation at the border. While it is not standard practice for Border Force to routinely provide arriving work visa holders with guidance on worker rights or advice on avoiding exploitation, officers are prepared to intervene when individuals are identified as being at risk. This includes taking action to support those who may be vulnerable to labour exploitation

In addition, Border Force have worked with Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) (Our Aims and Objectives - GLAA). As part of this cooperation, skilled worker applicants receive a leaflet when they visit a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to provide their biometrics. The leaflet outlines workers’ rights and steps they can take to identify the signifiers of, avoid, and report exploitation. The complete range of GLAA resources is available at Resources - GLAA and available to all.

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