Migrant care workers protest planned UK visa rule changes at Holyrood

Migrant social care staff are to protest outside the Scottish Parliament ahead of meeting MSPs to call for UK visa changes to be reversed, the union UNISON has said.

Dozens of workers are travelling to Edinburgh as part of a UK-wide day of action.

They are calling for ministers to honour commitments made to international staff when they were first recruited to plug workforce shortages.

The UK Home Office is considering replacing the current five-year route to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) with an ‘Earned Settlement’ model.

Under the proposals, the qualification period before overseas staff can permanently settle in the UK could extend to up to 15 years for lower-paid tiers, such as care workers. A consultation closed in February.

Immigration is a reserved matter for the UK Government in Westminster, meaning the Scottish Parliament cannot directly alter visa laws.

However, campaigners are urging MSPs to pressure the Home Office and back proposals for a separate Scottish migration scheme tailored to local workforce needs.

International staff make up nearly a quarter of Scotland’s social care workforce.

UNISON Scotland social care lead Jennifer McCarey said: “Scotland’s health and social care services rely on the skills, dedication and commitment of migrant staff.

“These people came to Scotland in good faith to fill vacancies and build their lives here. Changing the rules after they’ve made that commitment is unfair and creates uncertainty for workers and their families.

“Without migrant workers, Scotland’s care system would collapse. The UK government needs to honour the promises it made and support a visa system that reflects Scotland’s workforce needs.”

Stephen Kannike, a migrant care worker who works in the NHS, said: “Many migrant workers left their families, homes and careers behind to fill vacancies that employers were struggling to fill.

“We’ve built our lives here and become part of our communities. We’re simply asking for fairness and certainty about our future so we can continue caring for the people who depend on us.”

Community Care Minister Alison Thewliss said: “Powers over migration are reserved to the UK Government and its decision to end the international recruitment of care workers, without sufficient notice or any substantial consultation on the impact, has already been devastating for the care sector in Scotland.

“I welcome Unison drawing attention to the challenges facing this important workforce – the Scottish Government greatly values the vital contribution made by people who settle and work in our communities, and I thank them for all they do.

“That is why we will reopen the Displaced Workers Scheme to give eligible employers targeted support with the cost of hiring international displaced social care workers who are already in the UK. We have committed to expand the scheme within the first 100 days of this Government, with the aim of eventually delivering 45,000 extra hours of care a month.”

A government spokesperson said: “Our position has not changed, and the route to settlement will double from five to ten years. We will always welcome those that come to this country and contribute to our national life. But the privilege of living here forever should be earned, not automatic.

“Between 2021 and 2024, this country experienced levels of migration it had historically seen over four decades. We must be honest about the scale and impact of hundreds of thousands of low-skilled migrants getting settlement.”