A reform UK -led Council has called upon the government to reconsider its plans to abolish health and social care visas for foreign workers.
The Kent County Council (KCC) leader Linden Kemkaran has written to the Minister of Home Secretary Yett Cooper and Care for Care to raise “serious concern” about the proposals in the new immigration bill.
Kemkaran said that the decision “may leave the providers on the edge of a rock”.
A government spokesperson said that the decision to close the route for foreign recruitment arising from misuse and exploitation of workers.
Rules for foreign care workers visa route change on July 22, which requires firms to appoint British citizens or expand the visa of foreign workers already in the country.
In the letter, Kemkaran and KCC Cabinet members for adult social care, Diane Morton said that authority and care providers did not get a formal notification of changes.
“During the contracts for adult social care and health services of the council, there are about 150 providers about which we know that those who have sponsorship licenses, which are equal to 20–25% of our social care workforce,” it has been said.
“In 2024, the autumn budget was associated with the changes declared, resulting in a change in the national insurance contribution from April 2025, it is completely unstable, and the risk is that at this stage many care workers will go home and leave the providers on a cliff age.”
A government spokesperson said: “The expansion of the health and care route to include care workers has created significant concerns over the misuse and exploitation of workers from abroad.
“We have taken steps to overcome these concerns, but evidence has shown that more needs to be done, which is why we are closing the route for foreign recruitment.”
He said that the government had also promoted funding up to 3.7BN to support social care officers in 2025-26.
