Reducing the risks of exploitation for Romanian seasonal labour migrants after COVID-19

The measures imposed to control the Covid-19 pandemic significantly affected the British agricultural sector which relies on 90,000 seasonal workers annually, a large proportion of whom are Romanian, including ethnic Roma. Romanian nationals are also consistently among the top 10 nationalities and the largest group of European Union citizens accepted as potential victims of exploitation within the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Based on the NRM data, labour exploitation of Romanians is by a large margin the most commonly-observed type of modern slavery within this group, followed by sexual and criminal exploitation. In 2019, 222 cases of labour exploitation of Romanian nationals were referred by Police forces in England alone. Foreign and seasonal employees unwillingness or inability to report exploitative practices in a sector which is already susceptible to exploitation is concerning within this sector, which has also been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The project therefore proposes to provide the first quantitative assessment of the impact of Covid-19 on the exploitation risk for Romanian seasonal workers in the UK. We will use a survey-based approach, alongside a policy review and key informant interviews with enforcement leads, businesses and recruitment agencies, to gain a rapid overview of how the pandemic is affecting the vulnerability of Romanian workers. We will also suggest potential options for mitigation of increased risks. By engaging with multiple stakeholders we aim to identify lessons that have been drawn from this pandemic and suggest policy and practice changes that may assist with mitigating current challenges and future crises.

Our research will explore the following questions:
1) What risks and challenges did COVID-19 bring for employers, recruiters and workers?
2) How has the pandemic affected worker decisions about migration to the UK?
3) What understanding do workers have of their labour rights under UK law?
4) Do workers consciously expect and accept poor or exploitative conditions? What impact has the pandemic had on this expectation?
5) What learning has occurred within industry in response to managing the crisis and responding to workforce needs?
6) What policy solutions have other northern European economies used to mitigate emerging vulnerabilities?