Migrant workers ‘exploited and beaten’ on UK fishing boats

Report tells of 20-hour shifts for 3.50 an hour, racism and sexual abuse under cover of transit visa loophole

A third of migrant workers on UK fishing vessels who responded to a research survey work 20-hour shifts, and 35% reported regular physical violence, according to a new study that concludes there is rampant exploitation and abuse on British ships.

Leaving is not possible because I'm not allowed off the vessel to ask for help," one migrant worker told researchers at the University of Nottingham Rights Lab, which focuses on modern slavery. They found fishers reported working excessive hours, with few breaks, on an average salary of 3.51 an hour.