In a move to reduce net migration and prioritize domestic hiring, the government announced that care workers will no longer be recruited from overseas. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that firms will now be required to hire locally or extend visas of existing overseas workers in the UK. The proposed changes aim to cut up to 50,000 lower-skilled workers coming to the UK in the next year.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the government’s plans, calling for an annual cap on migration to be put in place. Net migration has been a persistent issue for successive governments, with numbers reaching record highs in recent years. The upcoming immigration White Paper from the Home Office is expected to outline further details on the new rules and regulations.
Cooper revealed that changes to skilled and care worker visas will be implemented throughout the year, potentially resulting in a significant decrease in lower-skilled visas. Furthermore, the government is considering adjustments to rules surrounding international students and graduates to address compliance issues within the system. Tightened restrictions in the care sector have already seen a decline in Health and Care Worker visa applications, with additional requirements for care firms seeking to recruit from overseas. The government aims to make care jobs more appealing to UK workers and reduce reliance on foreign labor through a new fair pay agreement
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
