A Birmingham employment tribunal has ordered a UK care agency to pay £30,000 (Rs 38.4 lakh) in compensation to a Kerala native it brought to Britain on a healthcare visa but failed to provide any work or pay. Shabin Shaji, a 33-year-old computer science graduate with healthcare experience in India, paid £17,000 (Rs 21.7 lakh) to agents to secure the visa in 2023, according to the Guardian.
Shaji's ordeal in the UK
Upon arrival, Shaji bought a car, relocated to Stafford, and was ready to work. However, Swan Care Solutions Ltd, the agency that sponsored his visa, reneged on its promise. "I was broke and had to rely on charity," Shaji told the tribunal. "I drank tap water and bought bread close to its expiration date to survive and looked around local shops in Stafford for free bananas. I attended church and on Sundays after worship, the good people who attend the worship shared with me some snacks with tea, for which I am very grateful."
Shaji had believed the move would be a great opportunity. "When I came to the UK, I found immigrants and British people struggling. I was in a terrible situation, feeling like no one in authority cared if I lived or died," he said.
Employer's response and tribunal decision
On multiple occasions, Shaji asked his employer for the work they had brought him to do, stating he had no money for food. "They told him to go to a foodbank," said the Work Rights Centre, which represented him. The tribunal ordered Swan Care to pay the amount for work Shaji was ready and able to perform. The Home Office has since revoked the agency's licence to issue certificates of sponsorship.
Shaji eventually secured sponsorship from another employer in April 2024 but has since returned to India.
