The Conservatives have called for urgent action to close what they describe as a major immigration loophole after new Home Office figures revealed some migrant care workers are still bringing large numbers of family members to the UK despite restrictions introduced under the previous Conservative government.
According to figures reported by The Times, some migrant workers have continued to sponsor dependants at remarkably high rates because the current rules do not apply retrospectively to workers who were already in Britain before the restrictions came into force.
The data shows that just 12 health and care workers from Cameroon sponsored a total of 180 family members to join them in the UK in the year to March – an average of 15 dependants per worker.
Among Ghanaian health and care workers, 257 workers were joined by 2,131 dependants, a ratio of more than eight family members for every worker. Bangladeshi care workers brought in 747 dependants alongside 139 workers, while 2,395 Indian care workers were joined by 10,504 family members.
The figures have prompted renewed criticism of Labour’s handling of immigration policy, with Conservatives warning that loopholes remain despite repeated promises to reduce migration.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp announced a new Conservative policy that would prevent care workers already in Britain from sponsoring additional dependants in future.
He said:
“These shocking figures show far too many family members, including the family of people working in kebab shops and vape stores, are being let into the UK. The number of dependants is unacceptably high, the burden of supporting them all too often falls on the British taxpayer. Worker visas should not be a route to let in thousands more family members. It is an abuse of the system.
“Far too many people entered the UK on social care visas and the previous Conservative government [was] right to put a stop to it. But today’s revelations show those already here on social care visas are still bringing in large numbers [of] dependants. This must be urgently stopped.
“Social care workers already here should not be able to receive new visas for new dependants. We have seen hundreds of thousands of dependants of care workers come here, more than the number of actual care workers, and this must now urgently stop.”
The previous Conservative government introduced a ban preventing newly arriving care workers from bringing dependants to Britain. The restrictions were later widened so that only migrant workers in graduate-level occupations could bring family members.
However, workers who arrived before the changes were implemented have been allowed to continue sponsoring dependants, creating what Conservatives argue is a significant loophole.
The figures also reveal high dependant-to-worker ratios among skilled worker visa holders more broadly. Pakistani nationals receiving skilled worker visas brought in 6,155 dependants alongside 1,029 workers – almost six family members for every worker. Nigerian skilled workers brought 1,114 dependants while only 230 workers received visas.
By contrast, migrant workers from many European countries brought significantly fewer family members. French workers, for example, brought 701 dependants alongside 1,804 workers, a ratio of just 0.4 dependants per worker.
Separate research by the independent Migration Advisory Committee found that migrants arriving on skilled worker visas are increasingly likely to remain in Britain long-term. Around 85 per cent of migrants who arrived in 2019 were still in the UK five years later, compared with 74 per cent of those who arrived in 2014.
The findings have intensified concerns about the long-term impact of migration on public services, housing and welfare spending, particularly as many migrants eventually become eligible for indefinite leave to remain.
Labour has announced plans to extend the qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years through its proposed “earned settlement” scheme. However, ministers are reportedly considering transitional arrangements that could soften the impact on migrants already in the country, including potentially exempting large numbers of care workers.
Critics argue that such exemptions would undermine the Government’s claims that it is getting tougher on immigration and risk perpetuating the very loopholes ministers say they are seeking to close.
A Home Office spokesperson said the Government had already taken “significant action” to reduce the number of dependants joining workers in Britain and pointed to recent falls in visa numbers and net migration.
