The Government has announced its intentions to end overseas recruitment into the care sector across the UK.
It’s just one of the measures outlined in the Government’s Immigration White Paper, which was announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Parliament today, and is aiming to ‘take action’ to bring down historically high levels of net migration.
According to the Home Office, care workers from overseas have made a ‘huge contribution’ to social care in the UK for several decades, but too many have been subject to shameful levels of abuse and exploitation.
Overseas workers in the sector arrived in the country to find themselves saddled with debt, treated unfairly, or in extreme cases, even discover the jobs they were promised did not exist.
Immigration has played a key role in the success of the UK and our services.
But we cannot ignore the facts.
The system does not work.
Care workers have been widely exploited through the immigration system which is why we are closing new applications from abroad.
More than 470 care providers had their licence to sponsor international staff suspended since 2022, the Home Office revealed this month – which is why the Government ultimately wants to ‘put an end’ to any more overseas recruitment.
ADVERTISEMENT
The crackdown on ‘rogue care providers’, as the Government called them, has seen around 40,000 workers displaced, many of whom are ready to rejoin the workforce, and under the plans outlined today, it’s said that they will be given the opportunity to ‘do the jobs they were promised’, while long-term plans are drawn up to train homegrown talent into the care sector.
International workers who are already sponsored to work legally in the sector, however, will still be able to continue to extend their stay, change sponsors, and apply to settle.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Government is banning overseas recruitment for the UK care sector / Credit: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street (via Flickr)
“Together, these measures will move the UK away from a dependence on overseas workers to fulfil our care needs,” the Government said in a statement.
Despite the plans announced today being received well by some, they have been met with some criticism from industry figures – with Care England describing it as a ‘crushing blow to an already fragile sector’.
“The Government is kicking us while we’re already down,” explained Professor Martin Green OBE, who is the Chief Executive of Care England.
“For years, the sector has been propping itself up with dwindling resources, rising costs, and mounting vacancies. International recruitment wasn’t a silver bullet, but it was a lifeline, and taking it away now, with no warning, no funding, and no alternative, is not just short-sighted, it’s cruel.”
Featured Image – Kampus Production
News
Rules around booking driving tests in UK change from today to make system ‘fairer’
Emily Sergeant
The rules around booking driving tests in the UK are officially set to change from today in a bid to make the system ‘fairer’.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has now introduced new rules for car driving test bookings, putting learners ‘firmly in control’ of their own booking, as it is now against the law for third parties – including unofficial test booking and cancellation finder services, as well as driving instructors – to make bookings for someone else.
It will also be a breach of DVSA’s terms and conditions for the booking service for third parties to change, swap, or cancel a driving test for someone else.
Learners should only ever pay the official DVSA fee – which is £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
The Government says the new rules aim to make booking driving tests ‘fairer’ for learner drivers.
While driving instructors will no longer be able to book tests on behalf of of learners, they will still be able to advise learners on when they are ready to take a test, as well as set their available times to prevent learners from booking tests at times that do not work for them.
Following on from changes to test alterations which were introduced at the end of March, from 9 June 2026, further restrictions will come into force limiting learners to moving their test only to one of the three nearest driving test centres.
The DVSA has also pledged to continue increasing driving examiner capacity to help provide more tests for learners to book.
“Our priority is to stop learners being exploited by third parties, put them in control of their driving test, and make the process fairer by clamping down on businesses that resell tests at inflated prices,” commented Beverley Warmington, who is the DVSA Chief Executive.
“These new measures help bring a halt to a system where the use of bots and third parties increases the amount some learners pay for a test and blocks test availability for many others.
“These measures will help free up appointments for genuine learners who are ready to take their test.”
Featured Image – Pxfuel
News
Canal Street cordoned off after ‘suspicious chemicals’ reported at hotel
Daisy Jackson
Canal Street and several other streets in the Gay Village in Manchester have been cordoned off this afternoon.
Greater Manchester Police are attending reported of a smell that’s believed to be chemicals coming from a hotel room in the area.
There’s a huge emergency services presence in the area, including vehicles from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, and the North West Ambulance Service.
Police have confirmed that they have detained a man who is believed to have been the occupant of the hotel room.
The hotel itself has been evacuated while the material is examined.
Thankfully, no one has been injured in the incident that has shut down part of Canal Street today.
Emergency services vehicles at the scene on Canal StreetThe cordon in place on Canal Street
GMP said in a statement: “We are currently searching a hotel room at a premises on Canal Street, Manchester. This follows a report of a smell – currently believed to be chemicals – causing suspicion.
“A man, believed to be the occupant of the room, has been detained and is currently in custody.
“As a precautionary measure, the hotel has been evacuated while specialist resources examine the material and conduct further enquiries.
“No-one has been injured and we are working to establish the full circumstances. We thank people for their patience as we continue with our work.”
Emily Sergeant -
12th May 2025 
