LMEOs were introduced in the Immigration Act 2016 as a way of stopping further offences being committed.

Should the couple breach their orders, they will go to prison, said the judge in the case, Nicholas Dean. The couple, who admitted to acting as a gangmaster without a licence, were also given 12-month prison terms suspended for two years.

Gaina and Hayat were convicted at Leicester Crown Court after an investigation led by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA). During the investigation, the GLAA found evidence that they exploited migrant workers from Eastern Europe, particularly Romania and Moldova, by promising them, for a fee, “well-paid” work in the UK and “good-quality” accommodation.

However, the court heard that in reality the workers were packed four to a room in five houses in and around Leicester city centre, with workers being forced to work their way out of debt. The couple posted recruitment adverts on social media using the name Anglia Jobs. 

GLAA director of operations Ian Waterfield said: “This was a clear case of two ruthless opportunists spotting a chance to make a quick and substantial profit by preying on vulnerable workers.

“They targeted those with little money, who spoke little or no English, many of whom were in a desperate position in their home country. The conditions they promised were a far cry from those that were delivered in reality, as they drove their tenants into debt and gave them no choice but to work their way out of it.

“The serving of an LMEO is significant because it puts strict controls around Gaina and Hayat attempting to employ workers in the future. Breaching that order is a criminal offence.”

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