‘Crushing blow’ for care homes as they face ban on overseas recruitment
LONDON — The UK government will end overseas recruitment of care workers as part of a sweeping immigration crackdown aimed at reducing net migration, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed on Sunday.
“It is time to end that care worker recruitment from abroad,” Cooper told the BBC, stating that new rules to be unveiled Monday will require care companies to hire British nationals or extend existing visas, rather than recruit internationally.
The changes are expected to cut up to 50,000 lower-skilled and care worker visas over the next year. Employers will also be required to show efforts to hire domestically, tapping into a pool of over 10,000 care workers with cancelled sponsorships.
“We are making these changes to get people who are not working back into the labour market here in the UK,” Cooper said.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the policy as “too little” and reiterated Conservative calls for an annual cap on migration.
The policy overhaul follows record net migration figures of 906,000 in 2023 and comes amid political pressure from Reform UK’s electoral gains. Reform leader Nigel Farage argued the move was reactionary, claiming, “This new legislation is only happening because Reform is leading in the polls.”
Further changes are expected to skilled worker thresholds, the Immigration Salary List, and student visa compliance.
Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association, warned the policy would worsen already “challenging” conditions for care providers, noting a lack of available domestic workforce.
Labour also plans a fair pay agreement for care workers to improve recruitment and retention.