UK to end recruitment of care workers from Nigeria, other countries

The United Kingdom government has announced it will stop recruiting care workers from abroad, including Nigeria, as part of a broader set of immigration reforms designed to curb net migration and combat the exploitation of workers within the social care sector.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper revealed the change on Sunday, with the policy to be detailed in the upcoming Immigration White Paper, set to be presented in Parliament on May 12.

This policy shift follows disturbing reports of mistreatment and debt bondage experienced by many migrant care workers brought into the UK from overseas.

“Care workers from overseas have made a huge contribution to social care in the UK, but too many have been subject to shameful levels of abuse and exploitation,” the Home Office stated. “In some instances, migrant workers arrived in the UK to discover that the promised jobs did not exist or were forced into unfair and exploitative working conditions.”

Since 2022, the government has revoked the licenses of over 470 care providers found to be in violation of sponsorship regulations, a move that has resulted in the displacement of approximately 40,000 migrant care workers. These workers will now be assisted in returning to the workforce under fair and legal conditions, according to the Home Office.

While new recruitment from abroad will be halted, care workers already in the UK with valid sponsorship will be permitted to remain. They will have the option to extend their visas, switch sponsors, or apply for permanent settlement, including those impacted by the suspension of their sponsor’s license.

The government is positioning this move as a critical step in reducing the UK’s reliance on foreign labour and focusing on developing a domestic workforce for the social care sector. Long-term plans include investing in training and professional development for UK-based talent to fill roles in the adult social care sector.

In addition to this shift, government ministers have committed to establishing Fair Pay Agreements that will bring together workers, employers, and sector representatives to improve working conditions across the industry. This effort complements the recent expansion of the Care Workforce Pathway, aimed at enhancing the professionalisation of care workers in the UK.

The government also noted that Baroness Louise Casey is leading an independent commission to review adult social care. This initiative is seen as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to build a broad-based, cross-party approach to the future of the sector.

The Immigration White Paper, which will be presented next week, is expected to introduce additional measures aimed at tightening border controls, limiting migration, and ensuring fairness in the immigration system—key components of the Labour government’s immigration policy.