Record 1,948 UK Visa Licences Revoked for Migrant Worker Abuse

Between July 2024 and June 2025, a record 1,948 UK companies had their visa sponsor licences revoked for abusing the immigration system, more than doubling the previous year's 937 revocations. The crackdown targets employers in sectors such as adult social care, hospitality, retail, and construction, who underpay and exploit migrant workers reliant on these visas to stay in the country, and who use visas to circumvent immigration rules. The government has also increased sanctions on rogue employers, including financial penalties and potential prosecutions, and has raised illegal working arrests by 51%. Additionally, visa access could be cut for countries that do not cooperate with the return of migrants without the right to remain in the UK. Critics from opposition parties argue that the government’s measures are insufficient, labeling them as superficial while immigration and asylum levels remain high. The Home Office and new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood emphasize ongoing commitment to fixing the immigration system and protecting British workers and vulnerable staff from exploitation.