Migrant health and care workers from across Somerset met Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos to explain how restrictive visa rules are affecting their lives, ahead of UNISON’s national lobby of Parliament.
Workers described the fear and uncertainty caused by the current sponsorship system. They spoke about unsafe workloads, limits on changing jobs, separation from their families and the impact of government plans to extend the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five years to ten or more.
Health and social care staff told the MP that these retrospective changes break the promises made to the thousands who moved to the UK during the pandemic to support struggling health and care services.
Mental health nurse and UNISON representative Adekunle Akinola said: “The only relief migrant workers get to have is looking towards a future where we are no longer in bondage to our sponsorship visa.”
Migrant workers asked Gideon Amos to join the national lobby on 17 December and raise concerns with the Home Secretary. The MP thanked workers for sharing their experiences and said retrospective changes to ILR rules are “morally wrong”. He also committed to speaking with other Liberal Democrat MPs about attending the lobby.
UNISON says migrant workers are essential to the NHS and social care and deserve security, fairness and respect. The union will continue supporting members as they lobby Parliament on 17 December.
