Gloriavd Health Care Ltd, operated by Gloria Van Dunem, has been accused of charging migrant care workers from Africa exorbitant fees to work in the UK. The Guardian reports that care workers from Zimbabwe allegedly paid large sums of money to Gloriavd in exchange for job placements in Leeds and Bath. However, these workers claim that they received minimal paid work, were placed in overcrowded accommodations, and faced threats of reporting to the Home Office, which led to fears of deportation if they complained.

One worker named Winnet Mushaninga sold her home in South Africa to pay £6,500 in fees to Gloriavd, only to find that she and her colleagues had very little work and had to rely on food banks for sustenance. She expressed her deep disappointment and anguish, stating that “she took all that I had.” Mushaninga alleges that upon arriving in the UK, she was squeezed into a four-person room with mattresses on the floor and earned just £20 a day.

These allegations come in the wake of the Home Office adding care workers to the UK’s shortage occupation list in order to address the shortage of workers in care homes and domiciliary care. Concerns about the exploitation of the immigration route by certain social care and employment agencies have been growing.

The Leeds branch of Acorn, a community union, is supporting several care workers in Yorkshire who have been affected by Gloriavd’s practices. The union aims to fight for justice, compensation, and job security for these workers and others throughout the UK who are facing similar injustices.

Gloria Van Dunem’s lawyer denies the allegations made against her, stating that she did not accept money from care workers in exchange for facilitating their relocation to the UK. The lawyer claims that the allegations are inaccurate and lack any basis in truth. However, documents seen by The Guardian indicate that Van Dunem allegedly requested a payment of £2,900 from another worker before issuing the sponsorship visa and official job offer.

Workers like Mushaninga and Benedict Musavengan claim to have faced difficult living conditions and limited job opportunities while working for Gloriavd. They express their disappointment and stress the negative impact it has had on their ability to support themselves and their families.

These allegations highlight the need for greater scrutiny and regulation of the care sector, particularly in relation to the treatment of migrant workers.