After paying thousands for jobs that never materialised, Zimbabwean migrant carers in Britain call for justice and restitution as rights groups pressure the UK government to launch a formal compensation scheme.
By Emma Batha | Edited by Ana Nicolaci da Costa | Context, Thomson Reuters Foundation
LONDON – Zimbabwean mother-of-three Zola came to the UK full of hope. She had left behind her sales job and invested everything she had over £5,000 to secure a care job in Leeds through legal migration channels. What she didn’t know was that the job barely existed.
Now jobless, homeless, and trapped in debt, Zola is among thousands of Zimbabwean care workers in Britain whose dreams have been shattered by what campaigners call a system of state-enabled exploitation. With no income and nowhere to go, many like her are calling for a UK government-funded compensation scheme to recover lost earnings and illegal fees.
“I came here legally, with papers, through the proper process,” said Zola, 45, who asked not to be named in full for fear of immigration reprisals.
“Now I sleep on the floor, I have no job, and no help. This isn’t what we were promised.”
A Crisis of Broken Promises
In 2022, the UK opened its doors to overseas care workers to fill gaping vacancies in the health and social care sector, following the strains of Brexit and COVID-19. Zimbabweans, many desperate for opportunity, responded in large numbers.
But rather than employment, many found exploitation, coercion, and fraud.
Thousands of workers paid illegal recruitment fees ranging from £5,000 to £10,000 to secure sponsorship. Some were given jobs with no actual work. Others were threatened with deportation when they complained. In March, the government admitted that over 470 companies had lost their sponsorship licences since 2022 affecting more than 40,000 migrant workers, including a significant number from Zimbabwe.
Calls for a Compensation Scheme
The Work Rights Centre, a UK charity assisting affected migrants, says the workers are owed millions in unpaid wages and illegal fees. The charity is now leading calls for a UK compensation scheme one that penalises rogue employers and refunds workers who came in good faith.
“If this were any other industry, if people were scammed out of thousands for something that didn’t exist, there’d be an uproar,” said Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO of the charity.
“This is not a minor employment issue. It’s a national scandal. These carers are victims of fraud and deserve compensation.”
The charity believes the funds could be sourced from fines levied on non-compliant care companies, many of which charged illegal fees and failed to provide jobs or pay contracted wages.
“We Are Left With Nothing”
Zola’s story illustrates the depth of the crisis. Her contract promised £20,480 per year, but she was offered just a handful of shifts not enough to survive. With no recourse, she borrowed money to live, only to find herself deeper in debt.
“They brought in nearly 100 carers,” she said of her former employer. “When we asked for more hours, we were told we’d be reported to immigration.”
With no driving licence, limited funds to relocate, and few employers willing to hire migrants with lapses in their work record, Zola remains unemployed nearly a year later. She has applied through the government’s job matching scheme but received no response.
A Broken System
Critics say the crisis stems from flawed immigration policy. The UK’s system ties migrant carers to their sponsoring employer, leaving them vulnerable if the company folds or abuses its licence.
“What we have here is state-sponsored labour exploitation,” said Jane Townson, CEO of the Homecare Association. “The government invited workers, allowed unchecked companies to recruit them, and then walked away when it collapsed.”
She warned that ending overseas recruitment as recently suggested by ministers would not fix the crisis. Over 130,000 vacancies remain in the sector.
What Campaigners Want
- A formal UK compensation scheme for care workers defrauded by sponsors.
- An extension of the 60-day visa grace period to allow time to find new work.
- Legal reforms to allow sector-wide job mobility without visa risk.
- Stronger oversight of companies granted sponsor licences.
Government Response
A spokesperson said the government’s job matching service was “supporting displaced care workers,” but made no comment on compensation. Data from the Work Rights Centre shows that just 3.4% of workers using the scheme found new employment.
“This is Britain’s care crisis, but we are paying the price,” Zola said. “We didn’t come here to take. We came to work, to help. And now, we’re left with nothing.”
While public attention has focused on the government’s failure to protect migrant workers, campaigners are also calling for personal accountability among those profiting from the system. Social media has been flooded with allegations against high-profile figures, including UK-based Zimbabwean influencer Olinda Chapel, who is accused by multiple migrants of charging thousands in illegal recruitment fees. Though Chapel has denied wrongdoing and no formal charges have been brought, rights groups insist that individuals regardless of their status must be investigated if found to have facilitated or benefited from unlawful recruitment practices. “It’s not just companies people are setting up WhatsApp-based recruitment rings with no oversight,” said Dora-Olivia Vicol. “This can’t be allowed to continue unchecked.”
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