The government has introduced new rules that will require social care sector employers to prioritise hiring migrant workers already in England before recruiting from overseas.
From 9 April, English care providers that wish to recruit a new worker from abroad will have to prove that they have attempted to employ someone already in the country who needs new visa sponsorship, according to a statement issued by the Home Office.
“A full government-led investigation, beginning urgently, is the only way to identify the scale and types of exploitation taking place”
Claire Sutton
The new rules – laid in parliament earlier this week – come as part of government plans to end the reliance on overseas recruitment and reduce the record levels of immigration in the country.
It follows a crackdown last year by the government on social care employers that abuse the visa system.
Ministers announced that they would tighten sanctions against employers that flout visa rules or commit serious employment breaches, including barring them from hiring overseas workers for longer periods.
In addition, it said it would stop employers that recruit internationally from passing the associated costs onto workers.
The action came following reports of overseas workers being exploited in the adult social care sector.
The Home Office confirmed that, between July 2022 and December 2024, the government had revoked more than 470 sponsor licences in the care sector to clamp down on abuse and exploitation.
It said that more than 39,000 workers had been associated with rogue sponsors since October 2020.
Stephen Kinnock, minister of state for care, said: “As we crack down on shameful rogue operators exploiting overseas workers here in the UK, we must do all we can to get the victims back into rewarding careers in adult social care.
“Prioritising care workers who are already in the UK will get people back to work, reducing our reliance on international recruitment and make sure our social care sector has the care professionals it needs.”
Responding to the announcement, the Royal College of Nursing head of independent health and social care, Claire Sutton, said: “It is encouraging that the government is taking steps to support those who have lost their sponsorship to stay working in the UK.
“However, without significant reform staff will still be left at the mercy of employers who unfairly withdraw visa sponsorship, leaving care workers just a matter of weeks to find a new sponsor.”
Currently, workers have just 60 days to find a new sponsor before having to leave the country.
Ms Sutton urged ministers to “rebalance the relationship between migrant workers in health and care and their employers”.
It comes as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) last week wrote to the home secretary to demand that she speeds up an investigation into migrant care worker exploitation, which was promised in the 2024 general election.
The union said it had seen an eightfold increase between 2020 and 2024 in enquiries from nursing staff who fear they are victims of exploitation within the social care sector.
Ms Sutton said: “Employers are using excessive repayment clauses to trap staff in their current [situation], providing poor quality accommodation and using threats of deportation to coerce staff into accepting poor pay, terms and conditions.
“A full government-led investigation, beginning urgently, is the only way to identify the scale and types of exploitation taking place and ensure there is a plan to end it.”
Meanwhile, Unison head of social care, Gavin Edwards, said: “Enabling care staff on visas to move to another sponsor more easily is a vital step in protecting them from exploitation.
“Thousands of migrant care workers have been at risk of being deported through no fault of their own, often because of dodgy employers or a care provider going bust.”
Mr Edwards noted that overseas care staff could “currently lose their job and be forced out of the country” for raising issues about care standards or being treated poorly.
“This move is a positive step, but further measures will be needed given the vulnerability of overseas workers,” he added.
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