UK’s care worker visa system introduced after Brexit, to address staffing shortages in social care, has faced strong criticism from the UK’s anti-slavery commissioner, who argues that it has led to significant exploitation of migrant workers.
Brexit refers to the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union (EU).
The term is a combination of “Britain” and “exit.”
The care worker visa route, introduced in February 2022 by the Conservative government, has been blamed for enabling “horrific” abuse within the sector.
Concerns over poorly designed visa system
According to The Guardian, the UK’s Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, pointed out that the visa scheme was poorly structured, creating conditions for workers to face significant exploitation.
She noted that the care worker visa route, which aimed to fill gaps in the sector caused by Brexit, was a “blunt instrument” that left workers vulnerable to abuse.
“In an already high-risk sector where there were large-scale shortages and we needed lots of workers to be able to come in and fill that gap, there was a blunt instrument applied. It allowed for incredibly vulnerable people to be exploited because there wasn’t a sensible policy intervention in the first place,” Lyons said.
Revocations of care company licenses signal widespread abuse
Reports inform that data from the Home Office has revealed that over 470 care providers had their licenses to sponsor migrant workers revoked due to fraud and exploitation concerns. The revocations impacted about 39,000 workers, with more than a quarter of the 155,000 care workers recruited to the UK from February 2022 to December 2024 employed by firms that lost their license.
Lyons called the number of revocations “alarming” and warned that these actions reflect serious issues in the system.
Calls for policy reform to protect workers
While Lyons acknowledged that the government had made efforts to crack down on rogue agencies, she expressed concerns about the impact of strict rules that force workers to find new employers within 60 days or face deportation.
- She suggested that reforms such as changing the tied visa system, which limits workers to a single employer, could help protect migrant workers.
- Lyons also called for a licensing scheme for companies hiring from abroad and stronger penalties for those violating the rules.
She said the recent changes, including the requirement for employers to try recruiting from the pool of international workers already in England before hiring from abroad, were “obviously good,” but still not enough.
Exploitation and fraud in the care sector
Reports further inform that investigations into the care sector have uncovered serious cases of exploitation, including workers being charged illegal recruitment fees and having their passports and wages withheld. Some companies were found to have issued fraudulent job offers, and others were linked to questionable practices, including operating fake care homes.
- According to The Guardian, employment experts have pointed out that the structure of the visa scheme, which ties workers to a single employer, has enabled exploitation, as workers are often reluctant to report abuse for fear of losing their visa.
- The number of migrant care workers coming to the UK has dropped significantly in 2024, partly due to changes in rules surrounding family members. According to data from Unseen, which operates the Modern Slavery Helpline, 918 potential victims of modern slavery were identified in the care sector in 2023, compared to just 63 in 2021.
Labor’s response and continued government action
The Work Rights Centre has called for more urgent reforms, including the abolition of the tied visa system and tougher measures against companies involved in exploitation. The center’s CEO, Dr. Dora-Olivia Vicol, criticized the government’s response, stating that their actions so far had amounted to “tinkering” with a much larger problem.
In response, care minister, Stephen Kinnock said the government is working to “crack down on shameful rogue operators” and is considering further steps to ensure that victims can continue their careers in social care. Additionally, a Fair Work Agency is expected to be established by 2026 or 2027 to address mistreatment in the sector.
Despite these efforts, questions remain about whether the government will conduct a full investigation into the treatment of migrant care workers. The Conservative Party has not commented on the allegations of exploitation within the visa system.
