In a pioneering move, care workers hailing from nations like India, Nigeria, and the Philippines, who risked deportation from the UK if they left their jobs, have been assured new safeguards through a trailblazing, grassroots agreement. The migrant care workers charter, jointly conceived by care staff and the trade union Unison, aims to combat the exploitation of individuals on sponsored visas – and Salford council has become the inaugural signatory to this landmark deal.
Visa Sponsorship Ties Workers to Employers
Under the post-Brexit sponsored health and care worker and skilled worker visa schemes, the immigration status of these essential personnel is contingent upon maintaining employment with a licensed sponsor. Losing their job can prompt the Home Office to revoke their visa, granting them a mere 60 days to secure a new sponsoring employer, apply for an alternative visa, or depart the country.
Vulnerability to Exploitation
Union organizers assert that this arrangement leaves care workers, many of whom have sold everything to come to the UK to support people with dementia or complex needs, susceptible to mistreatment by inadequately monitored employers. As one union official put it, the situation resembles the “Kafala” system in parts of the Middle East, where “you are completely owned by the company you work for, they control your destiny and that of your family, and if you don’t do as you’re told you risk deportation.”
Charter Commitments
The charter includes commitments from signatories like Salford council to:
- Identify or act as an “employer of last resort” for victimized care workers or those whose migration status is at risk after losing a job through no fault of their own, helping them remain in the UK.
- Create an “ethical recruiter list” to prevent rogue employers from receiving public funds.
Cases Prompting Action
The need for such protections became evident after discoveries made by union officials in Greater Manchester over the past year, including:
- Nigerian workers at a Salford care home facing loss of UK status due to the home’s closure and site sale for development, before Unison helped secure new jobs and unpaid wages.
- Assisting dozens of Indian care workers who raised concerns about underpayment, poor conditions, and feeling threatened with their immigration status, which employers deny.
The precariousness faced by employees on sponsored visas is the biggest issue in adult social care.
– Idris Kauji, Indian care worker who helped shape the charter
Salford Council Leads the Way
Salford’s elected mayor, Paul Dennett, declared it an honor for the council to be the first signatory to a charter that marks a “thorough step” towards addressing the persecution and victimization that overseas care workers encounter “far too frequently.” He expressed hope that other local authorities nationwide, particularly Labour-controlled ones with a “historic responsibility to work hand in hand with trade unions,” would follow suit and join the battle against exploitative conditions in the sector.
Ultimately, better conditions for care workers mean better standards of care for residents.
– Paul Dennett, Mayor of Salford
While the charter originated in Greater Manchester, care workers across the UK have collaborated to shape its provisions. One such worker, Lorato from Botswana, shared her story of coming to south-west England on a sponsored visa in 2022 to support disabled adults, only to find herself in an overcrowded flat and fighting for her salary before her employer was raided by immigration. Only in her new, properly compensated job does she finally feel like she has “reached England.”
As more councils and care providers embrace the migrant care workers charter, there is renewed hope that this vital workforce will receive the respect, protection, and support they deserve. In uplifting the rights and well-being of these dedicated professionals, the quality of care for those they serve can only be enhanced. The charter stands as a beacon of progress, solidarity, and ethical practices in a sector that forms the backbone of our society.
