After Brexit, Britain said goodbye to Eastern European workers, and is now tightening access laws for other foreigners. Without foreign nurses and carers, however, healthcare is simply doomed.
Asian and African carers now play a central role in social services and care for the elderly and sick in the United Kingdom. After Brexit, they replaced carers from Eastern Europe and the EU, which was until now actively supported and encouraged by politicians and authorities - for example, through special visas. But now that too is apparently coming to an end - the recruitment of foreign carers will be suspended, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced, German public broadcaster ARD reports.
The first crisis was after Brexit
“First there was Brexit and we had to find solutions. We were just used to them, and now this comes along,“ says Sadya Bhattarai, director of the Victoria Care Centre in West London. She warns that the new changes could prove even more damaging to the healthcare system, possibly even leading to the closure of treatment facilities, the publication adds.
“Without the foreign carers, everything here would collapse,” says Rachel, a woman in her mid-40s who has lived at the home for two years. “We need them for everything - from the moment we get up to the moment we go to bed. Of course, we also had carers from England, but they usually don't stay for long and are often less committed. They are just waiting to find a better-paid job“, says the resident of the Victoria Care Centre, quoted by ARD.
Why are special visas being stopped?
The removal of visas for care workers, which have so far facilitated access for social sector workers, is a key element of the measures announced by Prime Minister Starmer last month. The government's aim is to reduce immigration:
"The Labour government has already closed the laboratory - the experiment is over", Starmer said ironically, referring to the previous government's migration policy. "We will do what the people of this country have voted for many times: we will take back control of our borders," he assured.
His government's measures include tightening the rules for issuing work visas for separated family members, as well as for students, the German public media explained.
Right-wing rhetoric
Starmer used very strong words, which provoked sharp reactions – including within his own party: he warned that if immigration continues at the same pace, the UK risks becoming an "island of foreigners".
Many explain the British Prime Minister's sharp language by the need to counter the growing popularity of Nigel Farage's right-wing populist party “Reform UK“, which recently achieved great success in local elections.
"Labour has disappointed"
Rachel from the Victoria Care Centre nursing home Rachel is bitter about the British government's decision to stop issuing special visas for care professionals. She does not hide that she expected more from the Labour Party, for which she voted in the 2024 general election. "Labour has always been the party that stood on the side of ordinary people, but now they talk and act almost like the Conservatives," she told ARD.
YouGov polls show that only about a third of Labour voters support tightening immigration rules - unlike supporters of the Conservatives and Farage's party, who approve of the new measures.
Immigration has decreased
At the end of May, it became clear that illegal immigration to the United Kingdom in 2024 had almost halved (to 430,000 people) compared to the previous year - surprising to many. More than 80% of the immigrants came from countries outside the EU.
It is not yet clear how or whether this new data could affect the government's plans in London. But at the Victoria Care Home, the last hope has not yet been lost, according to a report by German public broadcaster ARD.