An investigation by The Guardian has revealed that migrant workers from Nepal have been charged thousands of pounds to work on farms supplying leading supermarkets.
The joint investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and the newspaper claimed that as many as 150 Nepali workers who came to work at Cobrey Farms in Herefordshire as part of the government SAWS scheme may have paid similar amounts to agents they say were working for a UK-licensed recruitment company.
Tesco and M&S told the newspaper they were urgently investigating the matter. Tesco added that any illegal fees had to be repaid in full, while a Waitrose spokesperson said it couldn’t comment on the specific case, which was a live investigation, but it would “take whatever action” was needed.
The fees were paid to agents working for Nepali company My Careers HR Solutions, which is controlled by London-based Poseidon Human Capital. Poseidon had in turn been hired by the Brighton-based charity Concordia, one of four organisations that operate the SAWS scheme.
Concordia has now terminated its relationship with Poseidon and alerted the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), the government body in charge of licensing labour providers and tackling exploitation in the agriculture sector. A spokesperson for the GLAA said it does not “provide a running commentary on specific investigations.”