Migrant workers’ organization challenges UK government’s policy on barring care workers from bringing families
An organization that supports migrant workers has launched a legal challenge against the UK government’s new policy to bar care workers from bringing children and partners to the country. The organization, Migrants at Work, has warned that the policy is “tearing families apart” and is discriminatory on various grounds including sex and race.
According to Migrants at Work, care workers now have to choose between family life with their children and partners or getting a job as a health or social carer in the UK – they can no longer do both. The controversial policy, which took effect last month, comes at a time when the vacancy rate in the adult social care workforce is at almost 10%.
The home secretary, James Cleverly, defended the changes, stating that they were made to tighten up high levels of non-compliance, exploitation, and abuse in the care sector. However, the legal action argues that the policy fails to take into account the needs of care sector workers and is in breach of the public sector equality duty.
Aké Achi, the founding chief executive of Migrants at Work, expressed concerns about the impact of the new rules on the already strained social care workforce. He highlighted cases where prospective care workers have been forced to leave the UK because their children are not permitted to stay as dependents.
Jeremy Bloom, a solicitor representing Migrants at Work, called on the Home Office to reconsider the new rules and avoid costly litigation. He criticized the home secretary for not conducting a full impact assessment prior to implementing the policy, raising concerns about compliance with the public sector equality duty.
In response, a government spokesperson stated that while care workers make a vital contribution to society, immigration is not the long-term solution to social care needs. The spokesperson cited unsustainable numbers of dependents accompanying care workers and defended the reforms restricting care workers from bringing dependents with them.
The legal challenge against the government’s policy highlights the ongoing debate over immigration and its impact on the social care sector in the UK. As the case unfolds, the future of care workers and their families hangs in the balance.