The UK government will end international recruitment for care workers, according to plans set out by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. The move is part of a broader effort to reduce net

migration, which remains at historically high levels.

Announced ahead of the Immigration White Paper being published in Parliament tomorrow, the decision aims to tackle widespread abuse and exploitation of overseas care workers. Many international recruits arrived in the UK only to face debt, poor treatment, or even find that promised jobs didn’t exist.

Since 2022, the Home Office has suspended the licences of over 470 care providers that sponsored international staff. As a result, around 40,000 workers have been displaced. The government now plans to offer those affected a chance to take up the roles they were originally promised.

Going forward, no new overseas recruitment will be allowed in the care sector. However, existing international care workers with valid sponsorships will still be able to extend their visas, switch employers if needed, and apply for settlement in the UK.

To support long-term workforce development, the government is focusing on training domestic workers. Initiatives include Fair Pay Agreements to improve job conditions and the expansion of the Care Workforce Pathway, announced earlier this year, to professionalise the care workforce.

An independent commission led by Baroness Casey is also underway to help shape the future of adult social care in the UK. The Immigration White Paper is expected to outline these reforms in full, as part of the government's drive to restore control, fairness, and support sustainable economic growth. Photo by Steve Cadman, Wikimedia commons.