Home Office fails to track visa expirations and migrant workers' status
- The government has not collected basic data about visa expirations and the status of migrants in the UK.
- There is widespread evidence of exploitation of migrant workers, particularly in the social care sector.
- The Home Office's failure to monitor and analyze exit checks contributes to illegal migration and worker vulnerability.
In the UK, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) highlighted significant gaps in the government's knowledge regarding the status of individuals who remain in the country after their visas expire. This concern was raised following the introduction of the skilled worker visa route in December 2020, aimed at attracting skilled professionals post-Brexit. By the end of 2024, approximately 1.18 million individuals had applied for visas under this scheme, with around 630,000 being dependents. Despite this influx, the PAC identified a troubling lack of basic information regarding compliance with visa regulations, as it remains unclear how many individuals leave the country upon visa expiration or how many may be working illegally. Furthermore, since the introduction of the visa category, no exit checks have been thoroughly analyzed by the Home Office, which hinders efforts to mitigate potential abuses within the labor market. Amid these failures, MPs noted evidence of significant exploitation among migrant workers in sectors such as social care, exacerbated by a high volume of applications and insufficient oversight of sponsorship practices. The committee chair criticized the previous Conservative government's rapid expansion of the visa system, warning that it has led to increased vulnerabilities for workers and compromised systemic integrity. In response to these challenges, the PAC urged the government to develop a better understanding of immigration's role in workforce strategies to address labor shortages and the ongoing issues within the care sector.