In a major policy shift that could reverberate across many countries, including Nigeria, the United Kingdom has announced it will end the recruitment of foreign care workers by the end of this year.
The decision is expected to significantly affect Nigeria, a country that has been a key supplier of health and care workers to the UK.
Several developed nations, such as Germany, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the USA, have allowed Nigerian nationals to enter their healthcare sectors through visa programmes that require job offers, relevant qualifications, and English proficiency.
These programmes often lead to permanent residency, with salaries ranging between £14,000 and €64,000 depending on country and experience level.
However, the UK’s Labour-led government is moving to shut down its overseas care worker recruitment initiative.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made the announcement on Sunday, stating, “It is time to end that care worker recruitment from abroad.”
Speaking to the BBC, she explained that care firms will now be expected to hire British citizens or renew the visas of migrant workers who are already residing in the UK.
The new measure is part of broader immigration reforms to be unveiled on Monday, which aim to slash net migration numbers.
Projections indicate that the reforms could eliminate up to 50,000 entries from lower-skilled and care worker categories over the coming year.
Cooper pointed to rising domestic pressure as a key driver of the change.
Migration reached a record 906,000 in June 2023 and remained high at 728,000 the following year.
“These measures are part of a fundamental shift in our immigration system. We are setting up plans for a substantial reduction in net migration,” she said.
However, she emphasized that the government would not adopt rigid numerical targets.
“We are not setting specific numbers. Those targets undermined the credibility of previous government policies,” Cooper stated.
Key elements of the new reforms include raising the threshold for skilled work visas to graduate-level qualifications and narrowing eligibility for temporary shortage visas.
Employers will also face stricter obligations to invest in training local staff.
Universities are not exempt from the overhaul either.
Cooper noted, “We are making some changes, particularly around the standards and the compliance for universities,” highlighting concerns around student dropouts and visa overstays.
The announcement follows a dramatic drop in Health and Care Worker visa applications, from 18,300 in August 2023 to just 1,700 in April 2024.
This drop came after earlier policies barred applicants from bringing dependents and required employers to prove they had exhausted domestic recruitment options.
Moving forward, care providers will need to focus on recruiting within the UK, including from a pool of over 10,000 care workers whose sponsorships have recently been revoked.
In an effort to encourage local interest in care work, Cooper promised to implement a fair pay agreement in the sector.
“The goal is to make the sector more appealing to domestic workers,” she added.
While the Labour government’s decision has garnered support in some quarters, criticism has also emerged.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called the plan inadequate.
“This is too little. We need an annual migration cap,” he insisted, promising that the Conservative Party would push Parliament to adopt such a measure.
Liberal Democrats social care spokesperson Helen Morgan also expressed concern.
“The government is tinkering around the edges yet failing to properly tackle the crisis in our social care,” she said.
Meanwhile, the right-wing Reform UK party linked Labour’s sudden policy change to its growing popularity.
Party leader Nigel Farage claimed, “This new legislation is only happening because Reform is leading,” warning that the proposed reforms would not succeed without fully confronting the issue of assimilation.
