Reprieve for senior care workers from non-EU countries

By Sofi Taylor

After UNISON calls for action to stop the wholesale deportation of much needed and highly skilled senior care workers and a parliamentary report which said Government changes to the criteria of entry to the UK breached European Human Rights, the Home Office has agreed to temporarily waive key immigration criteria.

This is a transitional measure to ensure care services are not disrupted and vulnerable people are not put at risk and applies only to senior care workers already in the UK who have been issued work permits - around 19,000 people.

The changes meant overseas workers needed to be in continual employment for five years instead of four to apply for "indefinite leave to remain". Many workers were caught out with work permits of only four years. The Home Office also told care home providers that the level of expertise needed for a senior carer in the independent sector does not meet the criteria for a work permit.

Care home providers disagree strongly. Social workers, Social work assistants, health care assistants and agency workers from non-EU countries will also be affected.

While UNISON's Local Government head Heather Wakefield welcomed the revised position, she said, "We are still unhappy the goalposts have been moved, and we will press for all these much-needed group of workers to be allowed to remain."

UNISON members have deluged their MPs with complaints that migrants arrived under one set of rules, and now have to apply to remain under another. Many migrant workers are already in an exploitative employment situation and refusing to renew work permits will make them more vulnerable.

UNISON remains the trade union fighting for the rights of this group of workers to remain in employment and in this country.

If you know of anyone in this situation, you should advise them to reapply or appeal their refusal. Keep your branch apprised of what action they intend or have taken. If you know people are who not already members of UNISON, get them to join today and become active in their branches.

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