The countries of Central Asia are one of the main sources of seasonal workers in the UK, according to SIA.

The UK Gang and Labor Abuse Authority (GLAA) has signed landmark agreements with the governments of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to increase protection for workers arriving in the UK.

The documents establish several areas of mutual cooperation between the parties, with the key priority being the exchange of information on recruitment agencies that send workers from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the UK.

In Uzbekistan, a memorandum was concluded between the GLAA on behalf of the UK government and the External Labor Migration Agency, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction.

The document also obliges the parties to protect the rights and interests of Kyrgyz and Uzbek workers while they are legally working in the UK.

In 2022, the seasonal worker visa issued more than 6,000 visas to workers from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, accounting for almost a quarter of all workers this year. Much more is expected to arrive from Central Asia this year.

Last year, Uzbekistan was the second largest source of seasonal workers after Ukraine, while Kyrgyzstan came fourth on the list.

GLAA Chief Strategy Officer Darryl Dixon, who signed the agreements on behalf of GLAA, said: “We are seeing a surge in the number of seasonal workers arriving in the UK from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in 2022 and our data shows that this will only continue to grow in the next few years”.