UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announces ban on overseas hiring in care homes as Labour targets net migration cut from 728,000 to below 500,000.
As reported by The Independent, overseas recruitment in Britain’s care homes has been blocked in a bid to cut net migration significantly below half a million, officials confirm.
In an effort to curb the rising influence of Nigel Farage and Reform, the government’s crackdown is included in Labour’s new white paper on migration.
What did Yvette Cooper say about migration levels and the UK economy?
Yvette Cooper warned that high migration levels and insufficient training in the UK were distorting the economy and weakening its foundations.
The UK experienced a surge in net migration to 900,000 in 2023. This was followed by a drop to just over 700,000 the next year.
According to Ms Cooper, the government’s reforms will not include a target figure but stressed that migration must fall “significantly” under 500,000.
She confirmed during an interview that the care worker visa rules would prevent overseas recruitment after,
“we saw that huge increase in care work recruitment from abroad, but without (it) actually ever tackling the problems in the system.”
Ms Cooper added,
“If we just carry on saying immigration is the answer, we undermine both the economy and the immigration system.”
In another interview, she 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.”
She stated,
“New requirements to train here in the UK to make sure that the UK workforce benefits, and also we will be closing the care worker visa for overseas recruitment.”
The Home Secretary said,
“Care companies should be recruiting from those workers. They can also extend existing visas. They could recruit as well from people who are on other visas, who are already here. But we do think it’s time to end that care worker recruitment from abroad.”
What impact have recent changes to the UK’s care worker visa had on applications and the sector?
The health and care worker visa applications in the UK have hit record lows after restrictions were placed on bringing dependents, as part of efforts to reduce migration.
According to official figures, applications for the health and care worker visa saw a sharp decline, dropping from 129,000 between April 2023 and March 2024 to just 26,000 by March 2025, following the introduction of new regulations.
Age UK recently warned that overseas recruits are essential in keeping many services operational, with the possibility of care homes closing without substitutes, increasing pressure on NHS hospitals.
According to government statistics, net migration has surged since the UK departed from the EU in January 2020, reaching a record 903,000 by June 2023, before slightly dropping to 728,000 in the following year.
Reports suggest migrants could be required to meet a higher level of English proficiency to work in the UK. They may also face a waiting period of up to 10 years before applying for indefinite leave to remain. Tighter restrictions will be placed on visa applications from nationalities more likely to overstay or claim asylum.
How are Conservatives proposing to tackle the UK’s migration crisis?
The Conservative party plans to push for a vote on Monday at Westminster to limit the number of non-visitor visas issued and exclude the Human Rights Act in asylum and deportation cases.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp stated that
“fixing Britain’s migration crisis requires a new radical approach. Labour had the opportunity to do this and have failed.”
New immigration rules
- Care Homes Ban: No overseas recruitment, hire or extension visas for existing workers.
- Lower-Skilled Migration Cut: Focus on high-skilled migration and domestic training.
- Deporting Foreign Criminals: Deportations for any crime, even without prison sentences.
- Stricter Visa Rules: Higher English standards and time-limited work visas.