A British recruitment agency, AG Recruitment, known for being a significant provider of international labor to the UK's agricultural sector, has had its license revoked following an investigation by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA). This action came after the agency was implicated in a scheme where Indonesian workers incurred debts of up to £5,000 to unlicensed brokers in Indonesia. Despite AG Recruitment's claims of unawareness regarding the third-party charges and advising workers against such payments, the GLAA determined the agency failed to operate in a "fit and proper manner."
The investigation into AG Recruitment, which supplied over 1,450 Indonesian workers to British farms in 2022, was initiated after a report by the Guardian. The Home Office had previously removed AG's license as a seasonal worker sponsor due to visa overstaying allegations against workers it recruited. AG's managing director, Douglas Amesz, contested the GLAA's findings, attributing the license revocation to a prior decision by the Home Office, and insisted on the agency's innocence in the charges of worker exploitation.
Despite AG Recruitment's defense, the controversy highlights ongoing challenges in the recruitment of foreign agricultural workers to the UK, including issues of corruption and exploitation in the recruitment process. The GLAA emphasizes its commitment to a thorough investigative process and the enforcement of its licensing standards to protect workers from abuse.
Source: The Guardian