A senior #ReformUK politician has raised the alarm over the UK government’s plan to tighten immigration rules for health and care workers — warning the move could cripple local care services, despite her party’s hardline stance on reducing migration.

Linden Kemkaran, leader of Kent County Council, one of ten local authorities now run by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Care Minister Stephen Kinnock expressing "grave concern" over the immigration changes.

In a joint letter with Kent’s cabinet member for social care, Diane Morton, Kemkaran warned that the impending 22 July 2025 deadline to end overseas recruitment under the care visa route could trigger a mass exodus of foreign staff.

"Around 20% to 25% of Kent's care workforce relies on international recruitment," the letter stated. "With rising national insurance costs and a new £41,000 salary threshold, the risk is that many of these essential workers will return home — leaving providers on a cliff edge."

The contradiction in messaging has not gone unnoticed. While Reform UK’s national leadership, including Farage and Deputy Leader Richard Tice, have pushed for zero net migration and called care jobs "low-skilled," their local government officials are sounding the alarm on the real-world impact.

In May, Farage publicly claimed overseas carers should be on strictly time-limited visas and that British citizens should be doing these jobs instead. Tice echoed this, referring to “a never-ending stream of cheap labour” from abroad.

Yet in Kent — where Reform now holds local power — the political reality is proving more complex.

Nigerians in UK Care Sector Could Be Hit Hard

The visa change, which ends new overseas care worker applications and restricts visa renewals for those earning below £41,000, could disproportionately affect Nigerian care workers, one of the largest demographic groups in the UK's social care sector.

Many arrived under the Health and #CareWorkerVisa , taking up essential frontline roles during the pandemic and ongoing staffing shortages. But under new rules, even those already working legally in the UK may be unable to renew visas or switch employers if their sponsor loses its licence.

The Kent council leaders also expressed concern about displaced foreign workers, noting that many may lose legal immigration status if their sponsoring employer cannot meet new salary requirements or retain sponsorship privileges.

Sector-Wide Crisis Brewing?

Social care providers across England have warned that the new rules could create widespread disruption, with some homes already planning closures or reductions in capacity.

“The decision to tighten migration while increasing NICs for employers is a double hit to an already struggling sector,” said one provider in South East England.

What Comes Next?

The Home Office has not issued a formal response, but critics say this is a rare example of political ideology clashing with operational reality.

Reform UK may campaign on reducing immigration, but their local leaders are discovering that care homes — and the elderly people they serve — depend heavily on the very migrant workers being pushed out.