Less than 4% of exploited care workers helped by UK government scheme

The Guardian

6 days ago

Less than 4% of exploited care workers have reported finding new work in a multimillion-pound government scheme designed to rematch them with new employers.
Analysis by the Work Rights Centre found just 3.4% of the 28,000 exploited migrant care workers signposted to a service to find them new jobs had reported being rematched with a new employer, while 131,000 social care vacancies remain unfilled.
Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol, chief executive of the charity, said: 'After Covid, England desperately needed more care workers, and thousands of people from around the world answered that call in good faith.
'But instead of jobs they got scams, and instead of justice they got a referral to a programme that simply doesn't work as intended.'
Thousands of carers who came to the UK on employer-tied visas were referred to government job-finding services between May 2024 and April 2025 after being found victim of exploitative practices.
At least 470 care providers have had their licence to sponsor migrant care workers removed since 2022, after it was found many charged workers thousands in sponsorship fees for jobs that never materialised, or offered work below minimum wage levels, in breach of UK employment and modern slavery laws.
New data revealed through freedom of information requests showed that as of 30 April, 941 migrant workers had reported finding alternative employment with bona fide visa sponsors through the government scheme.
The government said the self-reported data does 'not provide a complete picture' as 'workers were initially under no obligation to report their employment outcomes'.
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Last month the government announced plans to ban new recruitment from abroad for care roles and encouraged employers to recruit people from the existing pool of displaced care workers.
Adis Sehic, policy manager at the Work Rights Centre, said: 'Part of the government's rationale in ending international recruitment in social care was that thousands of displaced and exploited workers already in England would be given the opportunity to do the jobs they were initially promised.'
She said the data suggested that the programme has not been effective and raises 'serious questions marks over the viability of the government's plans to end international recruitment in social care'.
'As bona fide care providers face higher payroll costs, many shy away from taking on new recruits from the cohort of displaced workers,' she said. 'Workers are therefore still in limbo, labour shortages in care continue, and the pressure of caring for England's frail and elderly is only likely to mount further.'
The charity is calling for more flexibility for migrant workers to take up jobs in the sector without the costs of Home Office-approved sponsorship, as well as tougher penalties for non-compliant employers, including fines and charges.
A government spokesperson said: 'Over 900 workers have been directly matched into new employment thanks to the international recruitment fund and thousands more are being supported through our regional partnerships with CV writing, interview techniques and signposting.
'Since April, employers wanting to recruit migrant care workers need to first consider recruiting from the pool of displaced workers – getting them back to work, into fulfilling careers and boosting productivity.
'To reduce reliance on international care workers in adult social care, and fully crackdown on abuse and exploitation of migrant workers, we have announced that we are putting an end to the overseas care visa.'