The UK Labour government’s decision to ban the recruitment of care workers from abroad has sparked fierce criticism from trade unions and care sector leaders, who warn the policy will endanger an already fragile system.
The UK government’s immigration white paper, a document outlining proposed policies and legislation set to be published on Monday, confirms plans to end the care worker visa route for overseas recruitment.
The move is part of a broader immigration reset aimed at reducing legal migration and increasing reliance on UK-based workers.
In 2023 alone, over 58,000 overseas care workers entered the UK under the skilled worker visa scheme, accounting for nearly half of all new hires in the care workforce. The proposed changes would halt this recruitment pipeline.
Care providers say the sector is already under pressure
Care England Chief Executive Prof Martin Green condemned the policy, saying the government was “kicking us while we’re already down.” He noted that the sector has been operating under severe financial and operational pressure and that the sudden removal of overseas recruitment would worsen the crisis.
“For years, the sector has been propping itself up with dwindling resources, rising costs, and mounting vacancies.
“International recruitment wasn’t a silver bullet, but it was a lifeline. Taking it away now, with no warning, no funding, and no alternative, is not just shortsighted – it’s cruel,” Green said.
Industry experts say the care sector has long struggled with staffing shortages, and the overseas visa route had become a key mechanism to fill gaps left by domestic recruitment challenges.
Unions raise alarm over workforce anxiety
Unison, the UK’s largest union for health and care workers, warned the decision could trigger widespread uncertainty among foreign workers already in the country.
According to Christina McAnea, Unison’s general secretary, without overseas workers, the care system would have collapsed:
“The NHS and the care sector would have collapsed long ago without the thousands of workers who’ve come to the UK from overseas.”
“Migrant health and care staff already here will now be understandably anxious about what’s to happen to them. The government must reassure these overseas workers they’ll be allowed to stay and continue with their indispensable work,” McAnea stated
She also called on the government to stop labelling care jobs as “low-skilled” and pushed for urgent progress on fair pay agreements for care workers.
Immigration overhaul
Labour Party officials defended the decision, arguing that the UK must reduce dependence on foreign labour and focus on building a sustainable domestic workforce.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the decision, saying employers should prioritize workers already in the UK. She noted that visas could be extended for current residents and that the existing workforce includes many who are underutilized.
“They can also extend existing visas. They could recruit as well from people who are on other visas who are already here,” she said.
“But we do think it’s time to end that care worker recruitment.”
What you should know
Nairametrics reported that the United Kingdom publication of the new Immigration White Paper also proposes stricter graduate-level requirements for skilled visa applicants, limits on lower-skilled visa pathways, and the creation of a government-appointed group to identify sectors dependent on foreign labour.
In addition to this, one of the proposed changes is the introduction of a binding cap on immigration, which has been a point of contention.
