For #RaceEqualityWeek2026, we highlight that workers’ rights are an inherently racialised issue. Structural racism pushes Black, Brown and migrant people into a higher likelihood of low-pay, high-risk work.

By tying migrants' immigration status to employers companies approved to sponsor their visas, a huge amount of dependency is created. That dependency creates risk of exploitation: if you rely on a company to live in the UK legally, what can you do if they scam, extort and exploit you?

Labour & Migration Experts Warn Over Fishing Visa Loophole thefishingdaily.com/uk-fishing-i... #ukfishingnews #ukfishingindustry #fishingnewsUK #commercialfishingnews#fishingnews#fishingnews #dailyfishingnews #MigrantLabourUKfishing

FLEX held an event in Parliament to launch our report, Unravelling the Nets, attended by politicians, regulators, retailers, producers and more. The consensus was clear: the UK urgently needs a fishing visa, to stop the risks of labour exploitation via the transit loophole.

Last hours for Policy Officer applications, and just a few days left for Administrator applications!

👉 @focusonlabour.bsky.social is looking for an Administrator Apply by 25th January, 23:59 👉 @neonuk.bsky.social is recruiting an Operations Assistant Apply by 25th January [3/3]

👉 @rethinkecon.bsky.social is looking for a Communications Lead Apply by 25th January, 23:59 👉 @focusonlabour.bsky.social sky.social is recruiting a Policy Officer Apply by 21st January, 23:59 [2/3]

UK fishing depends on migrant workers. And yet policy changes set to come into effect this year will mean the only way migrant fishers will be able to work will be through a loophole, known as Code 7. For migrant fishers in the UK, this bakes in the risk of labour exploitation.

Looking for something new? FLEX is currently hiring for two positions - Policy Officer and Administrator. For job descriptions, person specifications and how to apply, go here: labourexploitation.org/about-us/opp...

Happy New Year. Want to spend 2026 working to end labour exploitation? We are recruiting for a Policy Officer and Administrator at @focusonlabour.bsky.social labourexploitation.org/about-us/opp...

As we look fwd to Christmas dinner, remember the migrant workforce who make it all possible on our farms, picking & processing our food🎄 These workers should be protected from exploitation but restrictive visa conditions make them vulnerable- @focusonlabour.bsky.social looks at solutions:

Today is #InternationalMigrantsDay. We mark this in an increasingly tough environment, where the political consensus is evermore hostile to migrant workers. We take this day as an opportunity, at the end of the year, to mark FLEX's work advocating for migrant workers and challenging exploitation.

As the immigration white paper is implemented migrant fishers must not be left adrift. We’ve set out policies to make sure they are recognised as workers & able to exercise rights

Labour exploitation in the fishing sector is not simply a matter of individual bad actors; it is underpinned by legal and regulatory gaps. Our new report, out on #HumanRightsDay, provides an in-depth analysis of the seafarer visa, and the impact on migrant fishers.

Today is International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. At a time when the UK government is narrowing migration routes, FLEX is highlighting that modern slavery and exploitation are only tackled by designing work migration routes that allow workers to access rights in practice.

This weekend, we sat down with outsourced cleaners from @iwgbunion.bsky.social working in some of London's biggest high-street shops. In our workshops, workers consistently flag the huge gap between what brands think is happening, and what workers actually experience every day.

Last week, the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the Omnibus I package, voting to further weaken the corporate sustainability package by watering down company obligations and reducing the number of businesses required to report on their sustainability.

ICYMI: FLEX's briefing "Rooted in Justice: Reimagining migration into UK agriculture" reviews essential changes to the seasonal worker scheme, making the system safer and fairer for migrant workers.

Keeping people temporary makes it harder to find work and more difficult to challenge exploitation if in work. Further limiting support for asylum seekers will increase destitution & remove options creating huge risks of exploitation. This policy making is cruel and will do much harm

The proposed changes to refugee protection in the UK are performatively cruel, and will drive labour exploitation. Read FLEX's statement on the Home Secretary's asylum reform: labourexploitation.org/news/flex-st...

These dangerous changes will make migrants' lives unstable, driving them into less visible, less regulated work contexts. The risk of exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery will only grow. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

This month, @kalayaan.org.uk Voice of Domestics Workers & @focusonlabour.bsky.social prepared a briefing, endorsed by us and other organisations. The call was to reinstate the original Overseas Domestic Worker (ODW) visa in the upcoming legislation. jcwi.org.uk/resource/uk-...

In our latest briefing, FLEX applies its blueprint for migration systems to migrant agriculture workers in the UK. Our conclusion: overhaul the Seasonal Worker Scheme, and introduce essential changes to ensure workers' safety and dignity.

In 2024, we launched the Worker-Driven Social Responsibility Pilot in fishing in the UK, to meaningfully improve the protection of rights and working conditions of migrant workers in fishing. Read our statement marking the conclusion of this pilot: labourexploitation.org/news/advocat...

This #TrusteesWeek we are thanking the FLEX Trustees that steer and support our organisation. As well as supporting FLEX, our Trustees also do incredible work too, from pioneering legal cases to breakthroughs on social care.

"When the immigration rules make staying in that job a workers’ best option, the worker will stay, even if they are being exploited." Read @focusonlabour.bsky.social and others commenting on modern slavery in this new piece from @opendemocracy.net

We’re working with Peers on the latest immigration bill to ensure that migrant workers can report labour abuses without fear of deportation: labourexploitation.org/publications... Why is this needed?

Great to see B. Hamwee's amendment calling for Secure Reporting tabled at Report Stage of the Border Security, Immigration & Asylum Bill. This is key to support encourage victims and witnesses of crime including labour exploitation to seek help labourexploitation.org/app/uploads/...

The big hole in the new Employment Rights Act is that some workers still have to risk deportation to report labour abuses. So pleased that Baroness Hamwee is supporting our call for migrant workers to be able to report bad employers without fear: bills.parliament.uk/bills/3929/s...

This week, our team spent two days in Brussels with the @picumofficial.bsky.social network, sharing perspectives and discussing what works when it comes to meaningfully engaging people with lived experience.

Last night's BBC Radio 4 feature Abused for Our Food looked at the exploitation of agriculture workers. The evidence base is clear: short-term, restrictive visas create systematic risks of exploitation. Seasonal migrant workers need better conditions, and safe means to report abuse.

Always wonderful to spend time with @voiceofdws.bsky.social

This weekend @focusonlabour.bsky.social staff met with Voice of Domestic Workers to discuss the intersecting challenges of employment and migration. We also looked at how the government's upcoming Fair Work Agency needs to work, for domestic workers to be able to work without risk of exploitation.

This #AntiSlaveryDay, preventing labour exploitation for migrant workers must be at the top of the workers’ rights agenda. This requires not small tweaks, but understanding and resolving the systematic barriers to reporting and tackling exploitation. Watch our latest video:

We know that workers on the Seasonal Worker Scheme often have to pay to work, from travel costs to illegal fees. These changes bounce workers back and forth, with accumulating migration costs and increased risk. Workers should simply be able to renew their visas if work is available.

This Anti-Slavery Week, Marissa of Voice of Domestic Workers writes for FLEX, exploring the history of the Overseas Domestic Worker visa, and what essential changes are needed for workers to challenge exploitation and slavery. Read the blog here: labourexploitation.org/news/anti-sl...

When women on the Seasonal Worker Scheme were asked if they had ever been paid lower than promised, 27% said yes. 16% of men said the same. That isn't just a blip. The government must address the ways that women on the scheme are pushed to the margins of an already-precarious workforce.

📢 Vacancy closing soon! We are recruiting a Director of Operations at FLEX If you’re passionate about building strong teams and systems that drive social justice, have a look 👇 Deadline: Monday 6 October 2025 (midday).

📢 Vacancy closing soon! We are recruiting a Director of Operations at FLEX If you’re passionate about building strong teams and systems that drive social justice, have a look 👇 Deadline: Monday 6 October 2025 (midday).

Compelling workers to volunteer isn't volunteering; its exploitation. The Home Secretary's new demands on migrant workers' right to indefinite leave to remain will increase the risk of exploitation of workers. www.ein.org.uk/news/home-se...

This country is hurtling along a dangerous path. The government has a choice: accelerate further down, or divert to something new. FLEX was one of 100 charities urging the Home Secretary to tackle the systemic causes of exploitation and alienation, rather than blaming migrants.

Civil society and public bodies must work together to build fairer systems. FLEX is proud to be part of the Citizenship & Integration Initiative with @trustforlondon.bsky.social and @london.gov.uk, ensuring policy and practice better reflect Londoners' needs. trustforlondon.org.uk/news/why-the...

FLEX has been proud to offer training to local frontline organisations whose service users face heightened risk of exploitation. We asked two organisations trained in 2024 and 2025 to share their experience with FLEX’s workshops. Read their thoughts here: labourexploitation.org/news/flex-tr...

FLEX delivered training to Voice of Domestic Workers this weekend, as part of its training programme. Want to hear more about our training and what attendees thought? Read here: labourexploitation.org/news/flex-tr...

As the Lords debate the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, Lord Watson proposed a vital amendment to make migrant fishers safer. The government must address the Code 7 Stamp loophole that creates systematic risk of exploitation.

OPPORTUNITY: We are recruiting a Director of Operations, to lead the development and smooth running of the systems, processes, and culture that enables FLEX to deliver its mission effectively. For more details on the role and how to apply, go to: labourexploitation.org/about-us/opp...

As @fullerproject.org reports, the gendered problems of the Seasonal Worker Scheme aren't just about individual cases of exploitation or abuse. The government doesn't even publish data on how many women are on the scheme. So how can we know how far the problem goes? www.youtube.com/shorts/87-uZ...

Our latest briefing looks at how gendered discrimination on the Seasonal Worker Scheme can result in higher levels of debt, underemployment, lower income and sexual harassment on UK farms. Read The Grocer's write-up here:

For the Fair Work Agency to be an effective tool against exploitation, it must introduce clear, trusted pathways for migrant workers to report abuse and exploitation without fear of deportation. FLEX was proud to feed into this essential work.