A new Brexit immigration system that would prevent thousands of foreign care workers coming to Britain has been branded a “disastrous mistake” that will add to the crisis in social care.
Priti Patel, the Conservative Home Secretary, has sparked fury by excluding care workers from a fast-track “health and care” visa unveiled as part of plans for the UK’s points-based immigration system.
Under the points-based system the UK will close its borders to lower-paid workers or those who cannot speak English after the country leaves the EU at the end of the transition period in January.
The rules include a fast-track entry scheme under what is called a “health and care visa”. But despite the name the list of professions who can use the visa does not cover care staff.
Charities and community groups also fear the new points-based immigration system, designed to cut the number of low-skilled migrants entering Britain from January 2021, will also exclude lowly-paid NHS cleaners, porters and support staff.
Patel said the system would encourage employers to invest in workers from within the UK.
She added that the points system would also allow employers to “attract the best and brightest from around the world”.
Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds asked: “What do Ministers have against care workers?”
He added: “To exclude care workers from the health visa is a clear signal that this Government does not appreciate the skill and dedication these roles involve.”
“Frankly, it is yet another insult from this Tory party to those who have been at the frontline of this crisis.”
The near-blanket ban comes despite figures suggesting 350,000 care workers in Britain were born outside the UK.
Stuart McDonald MP, the SNP Immigration spokesman, said the Health and Social Care visa was a “con-trick” if it excluded social care workers, NHS healthcare assistants and porters.
McDonald said: “This pretend points-based system will see families split apart, see businesses drowned in red tape and unable to recruit, and EU citizens stripped of their rights overnight. It will be a disaster for Scotland.”
He added: “It’s taken the Home Office four years to come up with a new immigration system - which they promised would work for the whole of the UK – and they basically decide to apply the existing policies for non-EEA citizens to EU citizens. This is despite the overwhelming input from devolved nations and businesses who have said this will not work for them.”
Trade unions were outraged by the new rules.
Christina McAnea, Unison assistant general secretary, said: “Social care was in crisis long before the pandemic. Refusing to include care workers in the new NHS visa is a disastrous mistake that will make existing problems spiral.
“The sector is desperately short of staff and heavily reliant on the skills of overseas workers. Recruitment will now become even harder.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman defended the new rules.
He said: “Our independent migration advisers have said that immigration is not the sole answer here, which is why we have provided councils with an additional £1.5 billion of funding for social care in 2021/22, as well as launching a new recruitment campaign.”
Existing European Union workers in the care sector could apply to stay in the UK through the settlement scheme “and a very large number have done so”, the spokesman said.
