UK Ends Overseas Care Worker Recruitment in Migration Cutback

The UK Government, under Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, has announced the closure of the care worker visa route to overseas recruitment as part of a wider immigration policy aimed at reducing net migration and focusing on higher-skilled workers. This move aims to cut low-skilled worker visas by about 50,000 within the year and encourages recruitment from domestic workers or from those already in the UK on care visas. The decision has faced strong criticism from care sector representatives and unions, who warn it will exacerbate staffing shortages and harm an already fragile sector reliant on international workers. Care providers highlight that overseas recruitment has been a crucial lifeline to support vulnerable populations despite challenges like exploitation and visa suspensions. The government argues the move will restore credibility to the immigration system, which previously allowed unsustainable recruitment from abroad while domestic training declined. Nonetheless, migrant care workers already in the UK remain anxious about their future, and unions urge the government to reassure these essential workers about their status.