The Government's immigration reforms are worsening the social care staffing crisis, UNISON has warned, citing new analysis of employment figures.

The union found that international recruitment into care roles fell sharply, from 105,000 new hires in 2023/24 to just 30,000 in 2025/26.

Over the same period, the number of care jobs filled by British workers also fell, by 70,000, undermining claims that curbing overseas recruitment would boost domestic uptake.

UNISON has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging her to abandon plans to triple the qualifying period for settlement for international health and care staff, from five years to 15.

The union argues this would cause serious harm to a sector reliant on overseas workers and called instead for sector-wide visa sponsorship to prevent exploitation.

The letter

In the letter to the Home Secretary, the union says: ‘Poor pay in social care is not evidence of the workers’ low skill or contribution. It is the result of longstanding policy failure. The prime minister has acknowledged this and stated his ambition to increase the wages of care staff.

‘It would be deeply unfair and contradictory for immigration policy to treat care workers as low value simply because they’re in a poorly-paid sector, while the Government tries to improve the status, respect and reward for care work.’

Comment

UNISON general secretary Andrea Egan said: ‘If the Government’s serious about fixing social care, it should immediately scrap these cruel plans that will make it harder to recruit staff.

‘Terrible pay and working conditions are creating shortages in the social care sector. These figures make that crystal clear. A massive drop in overseas workers has not led to rising domestic recruitment or higher wages.

‘Attempts to force existing staff out of the country are wrong by every measure. If the Government doesn’t drop these plans, the prime minister’s hope of transforming the lives of millions through a national care service will never happen.’

Further reading:

Beyond the Language of Crisis: Fixing social care's workforce problem

Social Care Crisis: What local government needs to know