The UK has implemented new visa rules that prevent overseas care workers, including Indians, from bringing dependent family members.
This policy aims to reduce migration and address care worker visa abuse, with 120,000 dependants accompanying 100,000 workers to the UK in 2023. The announcement has sparked varied reactions among Nigerians, with concerns raised about the impact on families and marriages.
Nigerians are particularly affected by this policy due to the significant number leaving the country in search of better opportunities, as highlighted by the departure of thousands of doctors from Nigeria in recent years.
The UK Home Office justifies these measures by citing abuse and manipulation of the immigration system and unsustainable migration numbers.
The new rules also require care providers to register with the Care Quality Commission to prevent worker exploitation and abuse within the sector.
The UK’s Health and Care Worker visa allows medical professionals to work in eligible roles with the NHS or in adult social care, but under the new regulations, care workers are no longer permitted to bring dependants when migrating to the UK.
These changes reflect a broader effort to reduce net migration and ensure a more ethical and sustainable approach to international recruitment and immigration in the healthcare sector.
