The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which examines the value for money of Government projects, said the Home Office had not analysed exit checks since the skilled worker visa route was introduced in 2020 under the Conservatives.
“There has long been mounting evidence of serious issues with the system, laid bare once again in our inquiry,” he said.
The PAC report said there was “widespread evidence of workers suffering debt bondage, working excessive hours and exploitative conditions”, but adds there is “no reliable data on the extent of abuses”.
Around 630,000 of those were dependants of the main visa applicant.
It noted that the fact a person’s right to remain in the UK is dependent on their employer under the sponsorship model means migrant workers are “vulnerable to exploitation”.
The Home Office said more than 470 sponsor licences in the care sector had been revoked between July 2022 and December 2024 in a crackdown on abuse and exploitation.
In its report, published on Friday, the PAC said: “The cross-government response to tackling the exploitation of migrant workers has been insufficient and, within this, the Home Office’s response has been slow and ineffective.”
Earlier this week legislation to end the recruitment of care workers from abroad was introduced to Parliament as part of a raft of immigration reforms.
The Home Office believes there are 40,000 potential members of staff originally brought over by “rogue” providers who could work in the sector while UK staff are trained up.
Adis Sehic, policy manager at charity the Work Rights Centre, said: “This report is yet more damning evidence that the principle of sponsorship, which ties migrant workers in the UK to their employer, is inherently unsafe for workers and, in our view, breaches their human rights.
The PAC said the Home Office should work with relevant government bodies to “establish an agreed response to tackling exploitation risks and consequences” and identify what data is needed, including “how to better understand what happens to people at the end of their visa and the effectiveness of checks on sponsoring organisations”.
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
Additional reporting by the Press Association
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