Reacting to comments made by home secretary Yvette Cooper, regarding the publication of the government’s immigration white paper, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“The NHS and the care sector would have collapsed long ago without the thousands of workers who’ve come to the UK from overseas.
“Migrant health and care staff already here will now be understandably anxious about what’s to happen to them. The government must reassure these overseas workers they’ll be allowed to stay and continue with their indispensable work.
“Care workers from around the world no longer want to come to the UK. Hostile language towards migrants, the ban on bringing dependants and exploitation by unscrupulous employers have seen visa applications fall off a cliff in the past year.
“The way overseas care workers have been treated by some corrupt care bosses is shameful. Ministers must crack down on those breaking the law and remove visa sponsorship from all care employers.
“Politicians must stop describing care jobs as low-skilled. They are anything but that. The work is tough, requires a high level of skills and huge amounts of empathy, as any family whose relative is receiving care support knows only too well.
“The social care sector has been in crisis for years. With so many thousands of workers short, it’s unable to provide care packages for all those needing support. That has a huge impact on the NHS too.
“The government must get on with making its fair pay agreement a reality and ensure social care is funded properly.
“So long as care wages stay barely above the legal minimum, employers will never be able to recruit the staff needed to deliver a national care service of which we can all be proud.”
