When Success Cahill saw her relatives arrive in the UK only to face illegal fees and broken promises, she knew she had to act.

Five members of her family came to the UK on Tier 2 Health and Care Worker visas, Success hoped they were stepping into stability. Instead, they were met with silence from the employer that had sponsored them. “They sold everything to come here,” she says. “They paid recruitment fees they didn’t even know were illegal. Then they were abandoned - no job, no income, nowhere to turn.”

Sixteen years earlier when Success herself moved to the UK, she faced her own difficulties in starting a career. “It took me nearly ten years to fully settle,” she says. “I often wished I had someone to guide me.”

What began as one woman helping her relatives has grown into a vital lifeline for others.

Drawing on her HR expertise and lived experience, Success founded the Migrant Support Network - a West Midlands-based social enterprise - to help others navigate work, rights and life in a new country - and to challenge the systems that enable exploitation.

“When an employer offers a sponsored job to a migrant, they must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship,” she said. “The Home Office is clear that cost should be paid by the employer, not the employee. But many still pass it on, and migrants are too afraid to speak up because their visa depends on the job.”

Many are charged between £12,000 and £20,000 before even setting foot in the UK, often for roles that don’t exist when they arrive.

For Success, the pattern is painfully clear. “Employers know their legal obligations,” she says. “They take advantage of people who don’t.”

Referrals reach her through family networks, friends and her church community. “At first, it was a handful of people - now it is constant, largely from the care and hospitality sectors.” she said.

One case crystallised her anger. Two migrants were recruited for care jobs and told they had to complete a week of unpaid ‘shadow shifts’ before being confirmed in post.

“They were working twelve-hour shifts, changing nappies, cleaning, caring - and being told it was unpaid,” she said. “They had even signed disclaimers saying they wouldn’t be paid, only to be told at the end there is no longer a job available.

“I said to the employer, ‘If that’s not modern-day slavery, what do you call it?’ A shadow shift is meant to be observation. The moment someone starts doing the work, you must pay them.”

She took the case to early conciliation through ACAS and won back pay for both workers - plus an additional settlement when the employer tried to make them sign a non-disclosure agreement.

“It showed there were others - they just didn’t have anyone to fight for them.”

Another migrant worker was threatened with deportation by their employer while Success was supporting them.

“He put the phone on speaker,” she recalled. “The employer said, ‘We’ve got this information from ACAS, and as it stands now we need to inform the Home Office - you’ll be sent back home’.

“That’s when I realised just how frightened so many migrants are. Their whole visa, their right to be here, depends on the job - even when the job itself doesn’t exist or they’re being mistreated. They stay silent because they’re scared.

“It makes me really angry that we are in 2025, we are in the UK, and this is happening. Sometimes I feel like we’re reliving the days of slavery.”

That fury has become fuel. “It’s disheartening, but it drives me,” she said. “These are vulnerable people being exploited in plain sight. Someone has to hold employers to account.”

Since starting Migrant Support Network as a community interest company in late 2024, Success has supported more than thirty migrants and is working on several tribunal cases. “Sometimes it only takes one email from me to the employer and things get resolved,” she said. “They realise someone knowledgeable is watching.”

She runs Migrant Support Network alongside a full-time HR job - a balance she admits is difficult, but her employer understands and supports her.

Her HR background gives her credibility with employers as well as workers. “Care homes can be huge operations without any HR,” she said. “Managers are expected to handle employment law they don’t understand. It is risky and it hurts both sides.”

Migrant Support Network also helps organisations review policies, set up HR systems and train managers on immigration and employment compliance.

“I’ve seen licences suspended because the Home Office arrived unannounced and nothing was in place,” she said. “We rebuilt their system and got the licence reinstated - but they had to learn fast.”

Some employers, she admits, are simply ignorant; others choose to cut corners. “They don’t understand the implications until they’re being fined or sued,” she said. “My job is to show them how to get it right.”

Success’s message to people wanting to come to work in the UK is clear: “Make sure the job actually exists before you travel. If you’re the main applicant, come first and settle before bringing your family. And when you arrive build your network, find the right support early.”

Migrant Support Network runs workshops on employment rights, understanding payslips, spotting underpayment and navigating UK systems - from GP registration to school applications.

“Many migrant workers are contracted to work 37.5 hours per week on an annual salary, as stated in their Certificate of Sponsorship and employment contract,” Success explained. “In reality, they’re often scheduled to work around 60 hours a week with no additional pay for the extra hours - meaning their actual earnings fall below the minimum wage. We teach them how to calculate their true hourly rate, keep accurate rotas, and recognise exploitation early.”

What she wants every migrant to take away is empowerment. “I want them to feel they’re not alone,” she said. “They have legal rights regardless of where they’re from. Speaking up isn’t a death sentence - it’s the first step to justice.”

The work is relentless, but she is not slowing down. “If I can make someone’s first years in the UK easier than mine were then it is worth it,” Success said. “Everyone deserves a fair start, and no one should have to go through it alone.”

And Success has not been alone on her journey to launch Migrant Support Network. UnLtd’s backing has been pivotal.

“I’ve never run a business before, so I am learning. UnLtd is committed to supporting people who are trying to make a difference in our communities.

“Their £8,000 start-up grant came in March,” she said. “It paid for our website, marketing and travel - all the basics. And most important is the support and guidance. I meet with Tim, my mentor, regularly and he pushes me to think beyond, to think outside of the box. They work with you to make sure you’re building something sustainable long-term. That is what is really making the difference for me.”

The guidance has helped her lay the groundwork for sustainability - developing the paid employer training and exploring a long-term idea for a Migrant Support Network Quality Mark, recognising fair recruitment and employment practices.

“If we can change employer behaviour,” she said, “we can stop exploitation before it starts.

Find out more at migrantsupportnetwork.com