He left Indonesia seeking a better life in the UK. All he found was debt and despair

‘Budi’ is bringing a case against the UK Home Office, claiming his seasonal worker experience made him a victim of human trafficking

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Fearing the repercussions of returning to Indonesia without being able to repay his debts, Budi decided to challenge the UK Home Office, describing himself as a victim of human trafficking and modern slavery. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:00am, 29 Oct 2024

On a brisk morning in July 2022, 18-year-old “Budi” stepped onto British soil for the first time, leaving behind the bustling streets of Jakarta for the promise of a lucrative job picking fruit under the United Kingdom’s seasonal workers scheme.

Filled with hopes of a brighter future, he envisioned a life where hard work would lead to financial freedom. But little did he know that this journey would soon entangle him in a labyrinth of debt and exploitation, compelling him to challenge the very system he believed would offer him opportunity.

Now 20, Budi is bringing a case against the UK Home Office, alleging that he is a victim of modern-day slavery after his experience with the seasonal worker scheme devolved into a harrowing ordeal.

At 17, he dreamed of studying science at university when a friend introduced him to the UK’s seasonal worker scheme, launched in 2019 to address labour shortages anticipated after Brexit by recruiting non-European Union workers for agriculture.

“My friend said that I could work in the UK for two years on a seasonal worker visa, and I thought that it would be an investment in my future,” Budi told This Week in Asia, using an alias to protect his identity.

“I thought that, if I worked for two years, I would be able to pay off all my debts in the first year and then save all my money in the second year before I returned to Indonesia.”

Budi says he spent more than US$5,400 to get to the UK, much of which is owed to loan sharks. Photo: Handout