Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the Government has “lost control of our borders” and called for immigration levels to be “brought down significantly”.
The Government said it doesn’t have data on migrants employed in health and social care. (Image: PA)
Labour has confessed to “losing track” of over 150,000 migrants who entered the UK on social care visas. Government ministers acknowledged they have “no idea” how many foreign workers, brought in to support the social care system, are still employed in the sector. It’s also not kown whether these individuals are still living in the UK, The Telegraph reports.
In February 2022, amid fears of the sector’s collapse, care staff were included in the UK’s skilled worker scheme. This move allowed workers to enter Britain on a health and care visa if they secured a job with a Home Office-approved employer. Over the subsequent three years, the UK issued 154,402 visas to migrants providing “caring personal services” in Britain, permitting them to stay for up to five years at a time.
The Home Office blamed the previous government’s data collection. (Image: Getty)
However, in 2023 the annual total reached a peak of 107,772 before plummeting to 9,539 in 2024, when the Conservative government prohibited care visa holders from bringing family members to the UK.
In response to a question from Mid Bedfordshire MP Blake Stephenson, Care Minister Stephen Kinnock revealed that the department does not hold data linking visa status to ongoing employment in adult social care or residence in the UK over time.
The Aberafan Maesteg MP stated: “The department does not hold data that directly links visa status to ongoing employment in adult social care or residence in the United Kingdom over time.
“As such, it is not possible to estimate the number or proportion of individuals who entered the UK on a social care work visa and who are still in the UK or working in the social care sector.
“Individuals may cease working in the sector for a variety of reasons, for example to return to their country of origin or to switch to another immigration route.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp responded to this shocking revelation, saying the Government has “lost control of our borders” and calling for immigration levels to be brought “down significantly”.
He told the outlet: “The revelation that the Labour Government has lost track of those who came here on a social care visa is shocking. This is further evidence of Labour chaos. They have lost control of our borders.
“We need to bring the levels of immigration down significantly and swiftly remove anyone who is breaching the conditions of their visa.
“The only way to do this is to have a binding annual cap on visas, set by Parliament at much lower levels than we have seen in recent years. We tabled this proposal in Parliament just a few weeks ago, yet Labour voted against it.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “This route, which we closed with our Immigration White Paper, was opened under the previous government.
“We also inherited a data system which was not designed to monitor the long-term outcomes of health and care visa holders – including whether they remain in Britain or continue working in the social care sector.
“The number of people who have been returned from this country is up by 11% since the election, including those who have overstayed their visa, a comprehensive plan has been set out in the Immigration White Paper to bring greater order to our system by reducing reliance on overseas labour.”
