Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Call to relax terms for foreign healthcare workers

Many healthcare workers from countries such as India find themselves abandoned when a previously legitimate sponsor loses their licence

Call to relax terms for foreign healthcare workers

AN online petition urging the government to allow foreign healthcare workers more time to find a job after their sponsors fail them has attracted hundreds of signatures within days.

Under tougher rules that came into effect earlier this month, care providers in England acting as sponsors for migrants are required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the industry regulator for health and social care, a move the government said will tackle abuse within the sector.


However, the consequence of this crackdown is that many innocent workers from countries such as India find themselves abandoned when a previously legitimate sponsor loses their licence, with migrants having only 60 days to find alternative employment in the sector.

“Sixty days is a very short notice for a family to arrange departure as it could unsettle their children's schooling, lead to loss of rent or deposit, furnishing costs, air ticket and relocation costs,” reads the petition launched by UK-based professional Balakrishnan Balagopal.

“Several healthcare workers who arrived in UK are left without jobs as their sponsors are unable to provide them with one or that there wasn't a job available for them when they arrived. Some firms lose their licence to sponsor due to their own mistakes...The request is to extend jobless health workers' stay in the UK for one more year for them to secure another job,” it adds.

The petition, launched on the UK Parliament website last weekend, is intended to shed light on a pressing issue and after 10,000 signatures will require a response from the government.

According to Balagopal, hundreds of healthcare workers who arrived in the UK to meet shortages in the social care sector since 2022 are stuck in a situation not of their own making. Many firms which promised them jobs lost their licence to sponsor due to errors beyond the workers' control and others found that the promised job never materialised.

Earlier this month, the Home Office said it has evidence that care workers have been offered visas under false pretences, travelling thousands of miles for jobs that simply don't exist or to be paid far below the minimum wage required for their work and exploiting them. It sought to crackdown on the abuse of the system, including a ban on international care workers bringing their dependent family members when migrating to the UK.

“Care workers make an incredible contribution to our society, taking care of our loved ones in times of need. But we cannot justify inaction in the face of clear abuse, manipulation of our immigration system and unsustainable migration numbers. It is neither right nor fair to allow this unacceptable situation to continue,” said Home Secretary James Cleverly.

With the letters starting to go out to those affected in recent weeks, the fallout of the crackdown is expected to affect hundreds of workers already in the country and left in the lurch due to no fault of their own.

According to official statistics from the past year, an estimated 140,000 visas were issued to overseas workers to come to the UK to meet staff shortages in the health and care industry and 39,000 of these went to Indians. (PTI)

More For You

india-sri-lanka-deals

A new five-year defence cooperation agreement includes provisions for training Sri Lankan military personnel in India, along with information and technology sharing. (Photo: X/@narendramodi)

Modi signs defence and energy deals during Sri Lanka visit

INDIA and Sri Lanka signed defence and energy agreements on Saturday during prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo, aimed at strengthening ties between the two neighbours.

The agreements come amid New Delhi’s concerns over China’s growing influence in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Did Obama Really Weaken the Democratic Party? A New Book Reveals

Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House offers a detailed narrative

Getty

New book claims Obama ‘destroyed’ Democratic Party during and after presidency

A newly published political book has revealed fresh details about former President Barack Obama's complicated relationship with the Democratic Party, portraying him as a figure who weakened the party’s infrastructure during and after his time in office.

The book, Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House, authored by political journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, claims that Obama was never a strong loyalist to the Democratic Party. According to the authors, rather than relying on the traditional Democratic Party structure, Obama built his political base by fostering a network of Black professionals to support his campaigns, differentiating him from figures such as former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and current President Joe Biden.

Keep ReadingShow less
TCS-Reuters

TCS has denied all allegations. (Photo: Reuters)

TCS denies age and nationality bias in UK redundancy case

A UK employment tribunal has heard claims that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) unfairly targeted older, non-Indian nationals during a redundancy programme in 2023.

According to The Guardian, three former employees allege that TCS, a Mumbai-based IT outsourcing firm, discriminated against them on grounds of age and nationality as part of a restructuring process.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sadiq Khan

Khan will be given 'call-in' powers to review decisions by local councils that block late-night drinking licences in key nightlife areas. (Photo: Getty Images)

New powers for Sadiq Khan to support London's night-time economy

LONDON Sadiq Khan will receive new powers to help cut red tape affecting pubs, clubs and restaurants, the UK government announced on Friday.

Khan will be given “call-in” powers to review decisions by local councils that block late-night drinking licences in key nightlife areas.

Keep ReadingShow less
Russell brand

Sexual offences said to have taken place between 1999 and 2005

Getty

Russell Brand faces rape and sexual assault charges involving 4 women

Russell Brand has been formally charged with a series of sexual offences said to have taken place between 1999 and 2005. The comedian and actor faces allegations from four separate women, with the charges including rape, indecent assault, oral rape and further counts of sexual assault.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that Brand has been informed of the charges. A statement from the force said he is to be charged with one count of rape in the Bournemouth area in 1999, one count of indecent assault in Westminster in 2001, one count of oral rape and an additional sexual assault in Westminster in 2004, and a further count of sexual assault in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.

Keep ReadingShow less