The UK government will end international recruitment of care workers as part of sweeping immigration reforms designed to reduce net migration and curb exploitation in the care sector, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced on Sunday.
The announcement comes ahead of the release of a new Immigration White Paper, set to be presented to Parliament on Monday, May 12. According to an official statement from the Home Office, the policy change is a response to alarming reports of abuse, exploitation, and debt bondage affecting thousands of migrant care workers recruited from abroad.
“Overseas care workers have contributed significantly to our social care system,” the statement read. “However, too many have been subjected to unacceptable levels of mistreatment.” In some cases, migrant workers arrived in the UK only to find that promised jobs were non-existent, or that they were subjected to exploitative employment conditions.
Since 2022, more than 470 care providers have had their sponsorship licences revoked for violating immigration rules. The Home Office estimates that around 40,000 migrant care workers have been impacted. The government says it will now support these workers in securing legal, fair employment under improved standards.
Current Workers Can Stay, But New Recruitment Will Stop
While the new policy halts future overseas recruitment, it allows current migrant care workers with valid sponsorships to remain in the UK. These workers can continue their employment, switch sponsors, extend their visas, or apply for permanent settlement — including those whose sponsors lost their licences.
This marks a significant shift in UK care staffing policy, with the government aiming to reduce dependency on foreign labour and invest in training a homegrown care workforce.
Reforming the Care Sector
The immigration overhaul is part of a broader strategy to improve conditions and professionalism in adult social care. Among the initiatives:
- Fair Pay Agreements will be introduced, bringing together workers, employers, and stakeholders to negotiate better pay and working conditions.
- The Care Workforce Pathway, expanded in January, will continue to support professional development for UK-based care workers.
- Baroness Louise Casey is leading an independent commission on adult social care, described by ministers as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to develop a long-term, cross-party vision for the sector.
The Immigration White Paper will also include broader plans to strengthen border controls, lower migration numbers, and ensure a fairer immigration system in line with Labour’s new approach.
Saharareporters
