Hundreds of care workers from across the UK travelled to Westminster this week in an unprecedented parliamentary lobby to oppose proposed immigration changes that unions warn could worsen the crisis in health and social care.

The demonstration, organised by UNISON, was aimed at challenging government plans to significantly extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain #ILR for migrant health and care workers. Under the proposals, the current five-year route to settlement would be increased to 15 years, a move campaigners say could drive skilled workers out of the UK and into countries where their labour is better valued.

Union representatives warned that the policy would deepen existing staff shortages in a sector already struggling with low pay, poor conditions and high turnover. They argued that many overseas workers were actively recruited to fill roles that domestic employers could not, often with assurances that they would be able to build long-term lives in Britain.

Alongside concerns about settlement rules, workers used the lobby to highlight what they described as systemic exploitation under the current visa sponsorship system. #UNISON says employer-tied visas have left many migrant workers vulnerable to bullying, intimidation and threats of deportation, particularly when they attempt to report unsafe or unfair workplace practices.

Care workers attending the lobby shared accounts of being underpaid, forced into excessively long shifts, or left without work or income for extended periods. Some said accommodation promised by employers either did not exist or was so unsuitable that they were forced to sleep in cars or share beds with strangers.

UNISON is calling on the government to overhaul the sponsorship framework by replacing employer-controlled visas with a sector-wide system for social care. The union argues this would allow workers to move freely between employers without risking their immigration status, reducing opportunities for abuse.

The union is also urging ministers to retain the five-year ILR qualifying period for health and social care staff, introduce a fair pay agreement through sector-wide bargaining, and reconsider the impact of higher salary thresholds across public services. According to UNISON, rising thresholds are already placing frontline #NHS workers at risk of job losses and potential deportation.

Speaking at the lobby, Audrey, a UNISON member from the South West, said tying workers to a single employer had enabled years of exploitation. She explained that many migrant staff feel unable to speak out about mistreatment for fear of losing both their job and their right to remain in the UK. She added that a sector-wide sponsorship model would restore basic employment rights and dignity.

Another care worker, Suzanna from Plymouth, said the proposed changes had left her feeling deeply insecure despite living in the UK for over a decade and working for the NHS for seven years. She expressed uncertainty about whether she or her son, a recent university graduate, would be able to remain in the country. “I have never felt as unsettled and unsafe as I do now,” she said.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea described the government’s proposals as a betrayal of migrant workers who were encouraged to come to Britain to keep essential services running. She warned that extending the settlement wait from five to 15 years would be “cruel” and could rapidly worsen staffing shortages in care.

She added that the current #sponsorship system was fundamentally flawed, trapping workers in exploitative situations and allowing bad employers to operate with impunity. McAnea urged MPs to listen to the concerns raised at the lobby, cautioning that failure to act could see many care workers leave the UK altogether.

Source: Adapted and summarised from UNISON reporting published on 17 December 2025 (unison.org.uk).