Nearly 200 care providers in the UK have received government licenses to hire foreign nurses, despite previous labor law violations. A recent study reveals widespread issues in the social care
sector, shedding light on employment problems for foreign carers in the UK.
The Work Rights Centre report highlights that 177 companies in England have been approved to sponsor foreign carers, despite records showing past breaches of worker protections. This study underscores significant gaps in government oversight of the foreign care worker program, through which hundreds of thousands of nurses and carers have traveled to the UK, often encountering exploitation and poor working conditions.
The report suggests this will be an early test for the new employment rights enforcer, a role the government has promised to introduce as part of its commitment to worker protections.
Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO of the Work Rights Centre, said, “Our research shows that employment rights violations are rampant in the care sector. This shouldn't come as a surprise to the Home Office, which has issued licenses to companies with a history of labor violations. For those exploited, the fear of retaliation by their employers forces them into silence. Working conditions are tough, with grueling schedules that leave them exhausted or too few hours to cover basic living expenses.”
The previous government turned to foreign workers to fill significant gaps in the care sector after the pandemic, with 350,000 foreign carers coming to work in Britain last year alone.
Investigations have revealed that many foreign carers face broken promises regarding job roles or hours, despite paying substantial sums to secure employment and travel to the UK. Some employers have threatened foreign carers with deportation if they voice concerns, leaving some workers resorting to irregular jobs to meet their financial needs.
Experts argue that government oversight of the system is lacking, allowing care companies with a history of mistreatment to continue recruiting from abroad. The Work Rights Centre study found that at least 1 in 14 licensed companies had previously violated employment regulations, including offering substandard care, paying below minimum wage, or breaching health and safety standards.
Further interviews with 92 carers showed that nearly two-thirds reported health and safety violations, bullying, or discrimination, and over half experienced unsustainable hours, with some required to be on duty for up to 100 hours per week, yet only attending clients for a fraction of that time.
The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, had promised an investigation into the sector before the recent election but has not made any further announcements since coming to office.
A government spokesperson stated, “We are deeply concerned by reports of unethical practices in the adult social care sector and will act where evidence of abuse is found. We recognize the need for substantial reforms to make adult social care more attractive, grow the workforce, and improve retention within the domestic workforce. The sector also must ensure ethical and sustainable international recruitment practices.” Photo by Vlastimil, Wikimedia commons.