Survey of Unite's members coincides with International Migrants Day. 

 

Migrant workers across the UK are experiencing appalling racism and bigotry in their workplaces and in their communities, a stark survey by the Unite union has shown.

 

Unite represents tens of thousands of migrant workers across all sectors of the UK economy, including health, food and passenger transport. A new survey has revealed a rising level of abuse suffered by migrant workers. It also found that government rhetoric and planned legislation is adding to the difficulties of the UK's migrant communities.

 

Unite, on International Migrants Day, is calling on the government to recognise the contribution of migrant workers to the UK economy and to abandon plans to make Indefinite Leave to Remain (IDR) far harder to obtain.

 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The results of this survey are shocking. No workers should have to tolerate discrimination or abuse. Migrant workers are doctors and nurses, cleaners, bus drivers, food workers, farm labourers and almost every other job you can think of. These workers, like all workers, must be treated with dignity and respect.”

 

Highlights from the survey include:

 

46 per cent having experienced racism, discrimination or unfair treatment while working in the UK with 47 per cent of those saying that treatment came from their employer or manager
45 per cent feeling that they have been exploited due to their migrant status.
23 per cent felt they had been unfairly treated at work due to racism.
49 per cent feeling that the changes to IDR make them feel less secure about their future
 

Respondents to the survey also gave first-hand testimony about their experiences including:

 

“When I worked for a food production company, my manager was openly racist, saying that she wanted only British management, so I was never promoted even though I passed the interviews. I was threatened, my holidays were cancelled, and I endured a lot of abuse.”

 

 “I’ve heard people at work joking about my immigration status.”

 

“Over the past six months, racism and racist slurs have risen considerably. We are experiencing humiliation and living in fear.”

 

“Agencies employ EU staff to work like that for years without a contract, while British workers receive contracts after three months. When I was hired, I went directly to the company, but they then passed my documents to the agency. The agency paid the flat rate regardless of whether you worked nights, weekends, bank holidays, etc.”

 

“Absolutely, I have! Continuously since I arrived here, from public shaming inside the warehouse, in front of 35 colleagues and one supervisor, yelling and cursing at me for no reason. Violent threats, wage theft, and finally being dismissed completely and utterly unfairly, then being reinstated by the union.”

 

“One organisation employed British people for management, white Europeans for customer-facing roles, and BAME staff for the lowest-paid work behind the scenes. Another employer openly discriminated against BME job applicants in front of the existing staff. It's rife.”

 

Unite has recently responded to the Home Affairs Select Committee investigation into IDR. Unite strongly opposes proposals to lengthen, restrict, or tie “earned” pathways to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), especially if applied retrospectively to migrants who entered since 2021. International evidence shows that longer, conditional routes heighten the risk of labour exploitation, undermines integration, destabilise migrant households, and impose disproportionate burdens on vulnerable workers. Unite is also highlighting how anti-migrant rhetoric from the government is contributing to wider societal problems for migrant communities.

 

Unite director for equalities Alison Spencer-Scragg added: "This survey highlights the growing threat of racism and discrimination against migrant workers who provide vital services for the UK. Vast sections of the UK economy rely on migrant workers and Unite is calling on the government to reverse measures to make ILR harder to obtain and to crackdown on the discrimination of migrant workers.

 

Unite will not stand by and watch anti-migrant language from politicians proliferate and anti-migrant legislation harm the UK economy. On International Migrant Day we will stand firm across the union and give our support to the UK's migrant workers."


Notes to editors

Unite surveyed 1260 members