Many people who have come to the UK on a Sponsored Care Worker Visa have been exploited by their employers in the UK. Because the employer/sponsor is connected to the person's right to work in the UK, they have a lot of power over the worker and may take advantage of this.

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People can be exploited through:

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• Having to pay large fees to get the VISA and come to the UK

• Debt bondage: being told they have a debt to pay off and having deductions made from their pay to pay off this debt

• Being forced to work very long hours or in unsafe conditions 

• Emotional or even physical abuse 
   

Sometimes when care workers raise concerns about their employer and they are investigated, the employer loses their license to sponsor people. This can be good, but it leaves the current employees without a sponsor and only a short time to find another. This makes them very vulnerable. They have no income and no way to support themselves. 

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ASIOX Support

 

From April to August 2025 ASIOX will be providing support to those who have been exploited in this way or whose sponsors have lost their license. This service will be available to those living in Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire only.

We can provide advocacy, signposting, referrals and emotional support. 

We can support clients with things like:

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• Finding a new sponsor

• Finding safe accommodation

• Material needs like donations of clothes and toiletries or referrals to the foodbank 

• Emotional support- provided by our befriender volunteers 

• Support to access physical and mental health support

• Support for their children

• Information about how to access legal advice 

• Others needs

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Making Referrals​

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• I am a professional

• I am a care worker

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