Zimbabwean nurses affected as UK halts overseas recruitment of care workers
For many Zimbabwean nurses and care workers, the UK has been a beacon of hope.
Migrating to the UK has been a chance to escape joblessness and poor working conditions back home. But that door may be closing.
On Sunday, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that care worker visas for foreign applicants will soon be scrapped. Going forward, care providers in the UK must either hire local citizens or extend the contracts of foreign workers already in the country.
Speaking with Trevor Phillips on Sky News , Cooper said: 'We're going to introduce new restrictions on lower-skilled workers, so new visa controls, because we think actually what we should be doing is concentrating on the higher-skilled migration and we should be concentrating on training in the UK.
'Also, we will be closing the care worker visa for overseas recruitment'.
According to Cooper, the new policy could lead to a decrease of up to 50,000 low-skilled worker visas in just one year. Despite this, she didn't provide an exact figure for how much the government intends to reduce total net migration, only saying it should come down 'substantially.'
For thousands of Zimbabwean healthcare professionals who have been banking on UK opportunities, this comes as a heavy blow.
With hospitals at home struggling to absorb trained Zimbabwean nurses and caregivers, and few prospects in the public sector, the UK's new stance could leave many stuck in limbo, trained but with nowhere to go. Zimbabwean nurses remain in limbo
Zimbabwean nurses remain stuck in the middle as the healthcare system continues to face challenges. The government recently stepped in and stopped more than 4 000 qualified nurses from leaving for jobs in the UK. The government fears that the exodus of health workers is putting public hospitals at risk, according to Zimbabwe Mail .
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Newspaper headlines from around the world - Monday, 9 June 2025
A bundle of newspapers on the table. Image: The South African/CANVA Here are the stories that made headlines on the front pages of newspapers worldwide on Monday, 9 June 2025. The New York Times front page reported that Russia's spies have a name for China: 'the enemy'. The Wall Street Journal front page reported that police and LA protesters clashed after Trump mobilised the National Guard. The Hindustan Times' front page reported that Manipur was rocked by more violence and that a curfew had been imposed. China Daily's front page reported that trade in services among nations is accelerating. Daily Mail's front page reported on a visa scam that makes a mockery of the Prime Minister's pledge on migration. The Guardian front page reported that Trump had deployed the National Guard on the streets of Los Angeles in a dramatic escalation. If you wish to stay up-to-date – for FREE – on the latest international and South African news, then bookmark The South African website for all that plus the latest in the world of finance, sport, lifestyle – and more. Did we mention it was 100% free to read …?
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
The Greta Effect: a timeline of Thunberg's activism leading to her being on the Madleen
The Greta Effect: Greta Thunberg Image: Supplied "We can no longer let the people in power decide what hope is. Hope is not passive. Hope is not blah, blah, blah. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action. And hope always comes from the people.' This famous quote, by activist Greta Thunberg at the Youth4Climate summit in Milan, Italy in 2021, best sums up her activism. Most recently Thunberg grew internationa attention when she and others set sail on a vessel carrying humanitarian supplies to the people of Gaza as a protest against Israel's war on Gaza and its reported blockade of aid. . Yesterday, in a video she had pre-recorded said she and fellow activists have been kidnapped while aboard the Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). The British-flagged Madleen yacht set sail from Sicily on June 6 toward Gaza. @skynews Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists ♬ original sound - Sky News Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Activists say Israeli forces have allegeldy intercepted the yacht trying to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade. Thunberg and a French lawmaker are among 12 people aboard the vessel. Meanwhile The Israel Foreign Ministry, on X, today dubbed the yacht "the selfie yacht of celebrities" and said they are all safe on the way to Israel where they wil be sent back home. One of the world's most notable climate activists, Thunberg first gained worldwide attention in 2018 when she started organising various protests outside the Swedish Parliament calling for stronger climate action. A dated photo of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addressing plenary of UN climate conference during with a meeting with leading climate scientists at the COP25 summit in Madrid. Image: Picture: Paul White/AP Her efforts quickly transformed into a global movement named Fridays for Future, and inspired numerous other youths to join the cause and raise their voices. Thunberg, born in 2003 and 25 this year, is well known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change. A timeline of Greta's activism: @najisarsour1 Activist Greta Thunburg explains why she and her crewmates on the Madleen Freedom Flotilla are willing to go this far to break the siege on Gaza. Israel has decided not to allow the Madeleine, which is sailing from Italy to the Gaza Strip with 12 pro-Palestinian activists on board, to approach or dock in Gaza. The ship is expected to arrive in the area in four to five days. ♬ original sound - Najisars Born in Stockholm in 2003, Thunberg's climate activism began when she persuaded her parents to adopt lifestyle choices that reduced her family's carbon footprint. At age 15 in 2018: Vowed to remain out of school until after a Swedish election to attempt to influence the outcome. She protested outside the Swedish parliament where she called for stronger action on climate change by holding up a Skolstrejk för klimatet (School Strike for Climate) sign and handing out informational flyers. After the election, Thunberg said she would continue school striking for the climate every Friday until Sweden was in compliance with the Paris climate agreement. She became a global icon of a new generation of activists. Also in 2018 Thunberg addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference and after that weekly climate strike protests took place on Fridays around the world. In 2019, coordinated multi-city protests involved over a million students each. She also famously attended the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit by taking a carbon-free yacht from England to New York. "How dare you"are her famous words to world leaders who she said were indifferent and inactive to the climate crisis. In 2023 she graduated from high school and she continued to gain international attention with her protest tactics have become increasingly assertive She defied lawful orders to disperse, which have led to arrests, convictions, and an acquittal. Her activism also include other causes, supporting Ukraine,Palestine,Armeniaand Western Sahara in their respective conflicts. Thunberg's rise to world fame made her a leader in the climate activist community even though she faced heavy criticism. Her influence on the world stage has been described as the Greta effect and she has received numerous honours and awards and was also Time magazine's youngest person the year in 2019. Part of her being on the Madleen was to bring attention to the Gaza situation with her Greta Effect.
The South African
a day ago
- The South African
Musk deletes X posts accusing Trump of Epstein ties
Billionaire Elon Musk deleted several X posts linking former US President Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, just days after criticising him over a congressional bill. On Thursday 5 June, Musk posted without providing evidence that the US Department of Justice had not released Epstein's files because they allegedly implicated Trump. 'Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,' Musk wrote. 'That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!' Musk deleted that post, along with others repeating the claim. The link now shows the message: 'Nothing to see here.' In another now-deleted post from Friday night, Musk said he would apologise to Trump 'as soon as there is a full dump of the Epstein files.' He also deleted a repost in which an X user called for Trump's impeachment and suggested replacing him with Vice President JD Vance. Musk had responded 'Yes' to the suggestion, appearing to endorse it. It remains unclear when the deleted posts were removed. As of today Musk has not retracted the accusations publicly, nor provided evidence to support them. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
