Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill

My Lords, perhaps I may say a few words about the position of migrant domestic workers. I have not studied the Command Paper but I understand from specialised agencies such as Kalayaan and Anti-Slavery International that have that this policy seems to run against what the Home Office has already said. Those agencies have been told by officials working on the points system that domestic workers either qualify as part of tier 2—which few can do, since it requires them to have NVQ level 3 or the equivalent—or will be given a maximum of six months leave, which cannot be extended. The idea is that the employer recruits a replacement domestic worker, from the UK or European Union, and sends the original worker home. In practice, the proposal means that migrant domestic workers would go underground. That is really contradictory when Home Office policy has been to ensure that there is no hidden slavery—an abuse taking place behind closed doors, where people are hidden away. The new proposals would put domestic workers at greater risk of such exploitation. I acknowledge that there is a mention of diplomatic employees but that is a small element in the total.