Nigerians and other foreign workers in the UK have welcomed a new immigration policy allowing recognised victims of modern slavery on Skilled Worker visas to leave exploitative employers and take up new jobs without putting their immigration status at risk.

The UK Home Office announced the change on Thursday, saying workers who have been formally recognised as victims of modern slavery should not be forced to remain with abusive employers because of their immigration status.

“No victim of modern slavery should be trapped with an exploitative employer because of their immigration status,” the Home Office said in a post on its official X account.

It added that recognised victims on Skilled Worker visas would now be able to leave abusive employers and work elsewhere without risking their immigration status.

The development has attracted positive reactions online, particularly from Nigerians who work in or are familiar with the UK’s care and support sector.

An X user, @daddyhope, described the announcement as “good news for care workers”, saying the policy could remove the fear of deportation allegedly used by some exploitative employers to control sponsored workers.

“From today, care workers and other Skilled Worker visa holders who are formally recognised as victims of modern slavery will be allowed to leave abusive employers and work elsewhere without risking their immigration status,” the user wrote.

Another user, @JajaPhD, welcomed the policy but sought clarification on who qualifies as a recognised victim.

“Sounds like progress. What’s a recognised victim though?” the user asked, pointing to concerns among some care and support workers who may feel trapped in exploitative workplaces because they fear losing their sponsorship and livelihoods if they report abuse.

Similarly, @MzHorlabc11 described the development as “a step in the right direction”, while calling for more clarity on how the new arrangement would operate in practice.

Other users expressed stronger support for the move.

@Unfilteredxrp8 described the announcement as “fantastic news”, saying it would provide relief to many skilled workers living in the UK.

@Prestigious_Gt also welcomed the development, suggesting that the change could encourage employers to improve their treatment of sponsored workers.

“Some employers deserve this news. They will be calmer and more respectful moving forward,” the user wrote.

Another X user, @RealMrKay, expressed optimism that the policy would encourage employers to treat sponsored workers more fairly.

The user said they knew people who were unhappy with their sponsors over what they considered unfair treatment compared with workers who did not require sponsorship.

The UK Government’s move provides an important safeguard for people who have been formally recognised as victims of modern slavery and whose immigration status is linked to their employment.

However, reactions online also highlighted the need for greater public understanding of the process through which a worker becomes formally recognised as a victim of modern slavery.

The change is particularly relevant to care workers and other sponsored employees, who have previously faced restrictions linked to their employer-sponsored immigration status when attempting to leave abusive or exploitative workplaces. (Vanguard)