The UK’s post-Brexit visa scheme for social care workers was poorly designed and enabled the severe exploitation of migrant workers, according to the UK’s anti-slavery watchdog, Commissioner Eleanor Lyons. The care worker visa route, introduced by the Conservatives in February 2022, has caused unnecessary harm due to its failure to address the vulnerabilities of workers in a sector already plagued by shortages and exploitation.

Lyons criticized the blunt, one-size-fits-all approach to recruiting foreign workers, which has opened the door for the abuse of these individuals. Over 470 care companies have had their licenses revoked due to fraud, abuse, and exploitation, affecting 39,000 workers, highlighting this as a “national scandal.” Approximately a quarter of the 155,000 care workers who came to the UK between February 2022 and December 2024 were hired by employers who later lost their sponsorship licenses.

Despite the recent announcement that companies must first try to recruit from the existing pool of international workers already in England before sponsoring workers from abroad, Lyons argued that these changes are insufficient. She called for a more fundamental approach to tackle the dire issues facing the sector, including reforms to the tied visa system and the introduction of a licensing scheme for hiring abroad.

The watchdog also raised concerns that the deportation process for workers whose employers lose their licenses could lead to further injustices for those already vulnerable to exploitation. Employment experts and the independent anti-slavery commissioner have observed a wide range of abuses, from poor working conditions to instances of modern slavery, with workers often left unpaid after being tricked into paying excessive recruitment fees.

The Labour Party has promised to launch an investigation into the treatment of migrant care workers if they come into power, criticizing the Conservative’s inaction towards widespread exploitation and its negative impact on the immigration system and vulnerable individuals. Advocacy groups have called for the government to follow through on its promises of reform and accountability, including ending the tied visa system and introducing more severe penalties for abusive employers.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/16/flawed-uk-visa-scheme-led-to-horrific-care-worker-abuse-says-watchdog