12 February, 2025
Left Foot Forward News
Left Foot Forward News
'Care staff who come here from overseas are shoring up a crumbling sector. These workers should be treated with respect'
Care workers coming to the UK to help tackle the social care crisis are being forced to share beds, sleep rough, and pay up to £20,000 for a job, according to new UNISON research.
A survey of over 3,000 people who have come to the UK on health and care worker visas found that almost a quarter of them had paid fees either to an employer or recruiter before arriving in the UK.
More than 100 migrants from countries including Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Brazil, and Indonesia, paid fees ranging from £5,000 to £20,000. 50 people said they paid over £10,000 in fees.
Migrant care staff also reported living in overcrowded conditions. Just under a quarter said they had to share a bedroom in the accommodation with other workers.
One care worker said they slept rough because their employer didn’t pay for shifts for shadowing other staff.
In addition, more than a quarter (27%) were paid below the legal minimum wage of £11.44 an hour, and 13% of respondents received less pay than non-overseas care staff.
UNISON is calling for the government to take over sponsorship of migrant care staff from employers.
It says that the current system, where care companies sponsor migrant care staff who can then apply for a visa, allows unscrupulous bosses to abuse their power.
Christina McAnea, UNISON general secretary, said: “Care staff who come here from overseas are shoring up a crumbling sector. These workers should be treated with respect, not taken advantage of and abused. No one deserves to be treated in this despicable way.”
She added: “The government must overhaul the sponsorship system as a matter of urgency. This would help prevent exploitation and drive up standards across the care sector.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
Care workers coming to the UK to help tackle the social care crisis are being forced to share beds, sleep rough, and pay up to £20,000 for a job, according to new UNISON research.
A survey of over 3,000 people who have come to the UK on health and care worker visas found that almost a quarter of them had paid fees either to an employer or recruiter before arriving in the UK.
More than 100 migrants from countries including Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Brazil, and Indonesia, paid fees ranging from £5,000 to £20,000. 50 people said they paid over £10,000 in fees.
Migrant care staff also reported living in overcrowded conditions. Just under a quarter said they had to share a bedroom in the accommodation with other workers.
One care worker said they slept rough because their employer didn’t pay for shifts for shadowing other staff.
In addition, more than a quarter (27%) were paid below the legal minimum wage of £11.44 an hour, and 13% of respondents received less pay than non-overseas care staff.
UNISON is calling for the government to take over sponsorship of migrant care staff from employers.
It says that the current system, where care companies sponsor migrant care staff who can then apply for a visa, allows unscrupulous bosses to abuse their power.
Christina McAnea, UNISON general secretary, said: “Care staff who come here from overseas are shoring up a crumbling sector. These workers should be treated with respect, not taken advantage of and abused. No one deserves to be treated in this despicable way.”
She added: “The government must overhaul the sponsorship system as a matter of urgency. This would help prevent exploitation and drive up standards across the care sector.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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