Hundreds of migrant care workers take Fair Visa Campaign to Westminster

Hundreds of migrant worker members stood together in Westminster yesterday (Wednesday 10 June) as UNISON’s Fair Visa Campaign brought its call for immigration reform to Parliament, Downing Street and the Home Office.

The demonstration highlighted the vital role migrant workers play in the UK economy and public services. It came amid growing concern about government proposals to lengthen the qualifying period for settlement, also known as indefinite leave to remain, which allows a person to live, work and study in the UK permanently and access benefits where eligible. Ministers have proposed doubling the route to settlement for most migrants from five years to 10, while health and social care visa holders could face a wait of up to 15 years.

There were also days of action in support of the campaign in Northern Ireland and Scotland. 

For UNISON, the issue is not only about immigration policy but workplace justice. UNISON general secretary Andrea Egan, said: "Every day we hear from migrant workers trapped in a system that ties their visa to a single employer, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and afraid to speak out. Many care workers are already juggling multiple jobs simply to make ends meet, as low pay struggles to keep pace with the cost of housing, transport, and childcare. 

"These are workers who care for our communities, yet too many are being denied the security and dignity they deserve."

In London, the day began at 2pm with UNISON members lobbying MPs inside Parliament, while hundreds more gathered outside in Parliament Square. Members carried banners calling for a fair visa system and an end to the sponsorship arrangements that can leave care workers trapped with abusive employers.

At 2.30pm, demonstrators split into two simultaneous actions. One delegation, led by Andrea, made its way to Downing Street to deliver a letter to prime minister Keir Starmer, urging the government to abandon the plans to extend the route to permanent settlement for migrant care workers.

At the same time, campaigners held a vigil outside the Home Office, remembering workers who have experienced severe exploitation under the current sponsorship system and those who have tragically taken their own lives after facing abuse, debt and uncertainty.

The day concluded with a rally back in Parliament Square, where Andrea addressed campaigners and praised the determination of migrant workers who have helped build the Fair Visa Campaign into a national movement.

Also addressing campaigners, Labour MP Angela Rayner, a former carer, expressed support for care workers affected by the proposed changes. “Care workers helped us through the darkest days of the pandemic,” she said. “Care is a system we may all need, and rely upon. So I for one won't rest until all those who give and receive care do so with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

She also criticised retrospective changes to settlement rules. “We shouldn't rip up the rules halfway through – taking retrospective action on people who are taxpayers, who are making a contribution, who are part of our society looking after our most vulnerable,” she said. “It's unfair, it's un-British to do so.”

The proposals risk undermining a sector already facing major workforce pressures: adult social care contributes £77.8 billion to England’s economy, yet around 111,000 vacancies remain unfilled. International recruitment has fallen sharply from 105,000 to 50,000 over the past year, while the number of British workers in the sector has fallen by 30,000.

UNISON is calling on ministers to retain a five-year route to settlement, introduce a sector-wide visa scheme that would allow care workers to move more freely between employers, and deliver a fair pay agreement for social care workers.