Find better housing for migrants, says charity

The Building and Social Housing Foundation has called on the government to take a tougher stand against the exploitation of migrant workers.

The charity urged central and local authorities to work together to improve the housing and employment conditions of immigrants.

It said councils should have increased powers to clamp down on irresponsible landlords to ensure “decent and affordable accommodation” to tenants.

Lodger schemes, where locals take in workers as paying guests, should be promoted and newcomers to an area should be provided with information on reasonable rent levels, it added.

Other recommendations included extended powers for the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to help constrain exploitative employers.

BSHF director Diane Diacon said: “Migrant workers leave their country of origin to work or to seek work in another country but all too often find they are living in expensive, overcrowded and poor-quality accommodation.

“This situation obviously has an impact upon the migrant workers, but it also causes problems for those living nearby, who may find themselves next to overcrowded rental accommodation.”