Oral Answers to Questions

Elsie Blundell Excerpts

Monday 5th January 2026 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Mrs Elsie Blundell (Heywood and Middleton North) (Lab)]

1. What steps she is taking to help prevent the exploitation of migrant care workers by private care companies.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mike Tapp)]

Exploitation of workers is unacceptable, and overseas recruitment for social care visas closed in July 2025 following significant concerns about exploitation. We have revoked record numbers of sponsor licences to prevent exploitative employers from sponsoring migrant workers. The Government are establishing the fair work agency to provide a more cohesive and streamlined response to exploitation across all sectors.

[Mrs Blundell]

In recent weeks, I have heard from several social care workers in my constituency who have each outlined to me the profound uncertainty that they face regarding their employer-sponsored visas, despite the critical role that these workers play in supporting the most vulnerable in our communities. What consideration has been given to the idea that these employer-sponsored visas could be replaced with sector-wide schemes to prevent continued poor practice from some employers?

[Mike Tapp]

This Government acknowledge and are grateful for the significant contribution that health and social care workers put in, day in and day out, across the country. However, it was right that we ended the overseas recruitment of care workers due to the high levels of abuse that many workers were experiencing at the hands of dodgy employers. There are no current plans to replace the current sponsorship arrangement for care workers.