Migrant care workers in the UK continue to face severe mistreatment, underpayment, and exploitative conditions despite government efforts to curb labor abuses. A recent survey conducted by Unison, the UK’s largest union, has highlighted the harsh realities faced by thousands of care workers, many of whom arrive in the country with high hopes but are met with unfair wages, poor working conditions, and threats of deportation.
Underpayment and Exploitation: A Growing Crisis
According to Unison’s survey of 3,000 migrant care workers, more than 25% of respondents reported being paid below the statutory hourly minimum wage of £11.44. Additionally, over 50% of care workers said they were not compensated for time spent traveling between care visits, a legal requirement that many employers blatantly ignore. This exploitation leaves thousands of migrant workers financially vulnerable and struggling to survive.
The Cost of Migration: High Fees and Broken Promises
Many migrant workers incur significant debts just to secure employment in the UK. Take the case of Isioma, a 42-year-old care worker from Nigeria, who sold her house and belongings in 2022 to finance her move to the UK. She paid an exorbitant £7,500 in fees to secure a job, only to find herself sharing a three-bedroom house with eight other workers and working far fewer hours than initially promised. In her first month, she earned just £100, barely enough to survive.
“The first three months were hellish,” Isioma recalled. She endured bullying and exploitation from her employer for two years before she was finally able to fund her own training and secure a better position. Even after moving on, she spoke to the media under a pseudonym for fear of retaliation.
Tied to Employers: The Visa Sponsorship Trap
One of the biggest flaws in the UK’s visa system is the dependence of migrant care workers on their employer’s sponsorship. Under the current system, workers risk deportation if they lose their job and cannot find a new sponsor in time. This dependency creates an environment where care workers feel trapped and unable to report mistreatment, poor working conditions, or illegal wage deductions.
Unison’s general secretary, Christina McAnea, criticized the government’s approach, stating that “care staff who come here from overseas are shoring up a crumbling sector” and urging authorities to implement comprehensive visa reforms to protect vulnerable workers.
The Surge and Decline of Migrant Care Workers
In recent years, the UK has experienced a significant surge in overseas recruitment for care roles, largely due to an aging population and an increasing demand for care services. This contributed to record net immigration levels, surpassing 900,000 in the year leading up to June 2023.
However, monthly applications for care visas have now dropped sharply, from a peak of 18,000 per month to just 2,000. The decline began before new restrictions—such as the ban on care workers bringing family members to the UK—came into effect. Industry experts believe that tighter Home Office scrutiny has made it much harder for migrants to secure work in the sector.
Government Responses and Ongoing Challenges
In response to mounting concerns, the UK government introduced a £16 million fund aimed at helping care workers who lost their sponsorship due to employer licensing issues. However, reports indicate that these efforts have had minimal impact, as labor exploitation remains widespread.
The Low Pay Commission, which advises ministers on minimum wage policies, has echoed Unison’s findings, urging the government to crack down on unethical employment practices in the care sector.
Unethical Employers and the Flawed Contracting System
One of the major contributors to exploitation in the care industry is the way local authorities award contracts. Many contracts are given to the lowest bidder, leading to rogue operators undercutting responsible employers. These unethical providers, often new or inexperienced, hire more workers than they can employ and fail to provide stable work or fair wages.
Jane Towson, CEO of the Homecare Association, pointed out that when the visa route for care workers opened in 2022, the Home Office issued sponsor licenses indiscriminately, allowing unqualified operators to enter the market. Many of these employers hired workers without having sufficient job placements for them, forcing care staff into precarious, low-paid conditions.
Now, the Home Office has tightened its restrictions, making it extremely difficult for providers to secure sponsorship approvals. This shift, however, has been described as an overcorrection, leaving many providers struggling to hire essential staff.
“It’s gone from the sublime to the ridiculous,” Towson remarked. “No one can hire anybody now.”
Government Pledges and Future Reforms
The UK government has acknowledged the severity of the issue, stating that it is “deeply concerned” by the findings of Unison’s report. Officials have pledged to take a “zero-tolerance approach” to labor exploitation and have announced initial steps to ban rogue employers from sponsoring overseas workers.
While these measures mark progress, industry experts and unions insist that systemic changes are needed to ensure fair wages, legal protections, and ethical recruitment practices for migrant care workers. Without broader sector-wide reform, care workers will continue to be underpaid, overworked, and vulnerable to abuse.
What Needs to Change?
For the UK’s care sector to provide ethical employment and high-quality care, several key policy changes are necessary:
- Stronger Enforcement of Minimum Wage Laws – Employers must be held accountable for underpaying workers and failing to compensate for travel time.
- Reforming the Visa Sponsorship System – Migrant workers should be allowed to switch employers more freely without the risk of deportation.
- Regulating Employment Agencies – Many migrant workers pay exorbitant recruitment fees. Stricter oversight and penalties are needed to prevent exploitation.
- Ending Lowest-Bid Contracting Practices – Local authorities should prioritize ethical employers when awarding contracts, rather than rewarding the lowest bidders.
- Providing Greater Financial Support for Care Workers – The government should increase funding for care services to ensure fair wages and working conditions.
Conclusion: The Urgent Need for Change
Migrant care workers are an essential part of the UK’s healthcare system, yet many remain trapped in exploitative conditions, struggling with low wages, job insecurity, and unethical employment practices.
While the government has taken some steps to address these issues, much more needs to be done to protect workers, enforce legal protections, and reform the care industry. Without urgent changes, thousands of migrant workers will continue to face financial hardship, abuse, and legal uncertainty in a sector that depends on their labor.
For the UK to maintain a sustainable and ethical care workforce, it must implement long-term reforms that ensure fair pay, safe working conditions, and a visa system that empowers rather than exploits migrant workers. Only then can the care industry truly provide the dignity and fairness that all workers deserve.
