RSS feed Sean Bamford's Archive

Sean Bamford

Sean Bamford

I’m a Policy Officer in the European Union and International Relations department of the TUC. I’m responsible there particularly for policy on issues around migration, EU worker mobility, trafficking, the EU’s information and consultation rights, and the accession countries.

  • Working Life

    The Continuing Tale of Migrant Exploitation

    16th May 2012 — Filed under: Working Life

    Sean Bamford Sean Bamford

    Yesterday’s guest post from Louise Woodruff of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) made for harrowing but unfortunately all too familiar reading. Louise provided a resume on the new JRF report  ‘Experiences of Forced Labour in the UK Food Industry’. The JRF report is both a catalogue of human misery but also of the greed and depravity of some employers.

    Based on JRF’s usual high quality research we are told how some employers set-out to exploit vulnerable migrant workers. Often this is done through the creation of debt bondage. Gangmasters’ demanding fees for providing work, none payment of wages, unlawful deductions from wages or deliberately with-holding work whilst providing loans. All is done to build a total dependency of the employee on the employer. This compliance through the use of debt bondage is frequently backed up by physical and mental abuse. In addition, accommodation is also provided by the employer which means loss of job also means no-where to live!

    Continue Reading →

  • Working Life

    Domestic Workers at Risk

    7th March 2012 — Filed under: Working Life

    Sean Bamford Sean Bamford

    If you drew up a list of which were the most vulnerable workers in our society, then domestic workers would come at or near the top for most of us. Within the category of domestic workers you might well single out those who live in the home of their employers, who are overwhelmingly women, as being particularly at risk. What then of domestic workers who live in the employers’ homes but are here in the UK on a visa? These most vulnerable of the vulnerable, live amongst us as the Overseas Domestic Workers (ODWs) – migrant workers of employers who are themselves migrants.

    You do not have to just surmise that ODWs are vulnerable; there is evidence which emphatically confirms their vulnerability in shocking terms. In 2011 Kalayaan, an organisation which provides advice, advocacy and support services to ODWs, carried out research amongst it’s members. This research found 54% had experienced psychological abuse, 18% physical abuse and 7% sexual abuse. In addition 76% were not allowed a day off, 53% worked a 16 hour day and 60% received under £50 per week. Listening to the stories of some of these women is both gut wrenching and fills you with rage. Women far from their families and the communities they know, isolated in an house which many are forbidden to leave, subject to daily abuse and threatened with being thrown into the street should they complain.

    Continue Reading →

  • International

    How wrong can you get Immigration?

    6th March 2012 — Filed under: International

    Sean Bamford Sean Bamford

    When it comes to immigration policy the Government is doing a double whammy on the British economy. How so?

    The Government’s commitment to bringing net migration down to the tens of thousands by 2015, from the current figure of around 250,000, is increasingly looking forlorn. With no control over EU worker mobility or indeed emigration, the Government has launched a number of assaults on non-EU migration which will prove very damaging to the UK economy. For example, an arbitrary cap has been set on skilled migrants under Tier 2. Rather than economic need determining migration it is being set by the political interests of the current Government.

    The recently released figures from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) shows that whilst last year’s cap for Tier 2 was set at 21,700, the migrants entering the UK via this route could be as low as 10,000. Should we draw the conclusion that the cap has not artificially driven down the numbers of such migrants? Perhaps this slump is purely due to the stagnating economy? An alternative interpretation is coming from the business community who are saying constant change in the immigration regulations is putting off employers, whilst would be migrants to the UK are being turned-off by what they see as an anti-migrant message.

    Continue Reading →

  • International

    Migration Policy Failing

    26th May 2011 — Filed under: International

    Sean Bamford Sean Bamford

    Figures release by the National Office for Statistics this morning shows net migration at its highest level in more than five years. A major factor in producing these figures is the decline in the number of people leaving the UK.

    Continue Reading →

  • International

    What Price Foreign Students?

    7th December 2010 — Filed under: International

    Sean Bamford Sean Bamford

    With the newly announced net migration figure climbing to 215,000 from 196,000 the Government’s pledge to reduce it to the tens of thousands is proving to be even more difficult to achieve than ever. The main reason for this increase has been a further drop in emigration, a factor over which they have little control. Already, their capping of Tiers 1 and 2 to 21,700 for the forthcoming year with its overall reduction of some 5,000 has been superseded by this net increase. Given that the Government is fond of quoting Professor Metcalf of the Migration Advisory Committee on this subject, this is his assessment of Tiers 2 and Tiers 1 migration

    All things being equal. Tier 1 and 2 migration clearly has a positive impact on (GDP). In a straightforward static analysis, Tier 1 and 2 migration makes a small but positive contribution to GDP per head. Such effects will accumulate over time and become more significant. (Source: MAC Report)

    Not only is the cap on Tier 1 and 2  proving ineffective to meet the Government’s objective, it would seem that the TUC’s assessment that such an arbitrary cap will damage the economy is well founded!

    Continue Reading →

  • International

    The mess of Government migration policy

    28th November 2010 — Filed under: International

    Sean Bamford Sean Bamford

    The Government’s commitment to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands has been in trouble from the outset. A major part of the problem is that they have no control over two key factors affecting net migration, out flows/emigration and the number of EU citizens who choose to come to the UK.‪ ‪The latest figures available showed that there has been an almost 20% rise in net migration over the last year; with the net figure standing at 196,000. The increase is largely due to a 13% fall in those emigrating and a 35% increase in overseas students coming to study in the UK. In other words the task that they have set themselves seems to becoming more difficult.‪ The Government’s policy on migration, driven by political opportunism, is in a mess. But for those who might wish to take pleasure in their predicament, remember that it will damage the UK economy and it will hit public services as many of those we may have relied on to enter via Tier 2 will find it increasingly difficult to do so.

    Continue Reading →