Care Forum Wales have voiced concerns about recent changes to UK immigration laws, stating that these changes are making it harder for people to come to the UK to work in the care industry and bring their families with them, which could lead to closure of care facilities.
A association that represents care facilities has told BBC News that additional care facilities in Wales may close as a result of the changes.
“More care homes in Wales could close due to changes to the UK government’s immigration rules,” the representative said.
The situation is dire at the Pentrefoelas care facility Cartref Bryn Bryn Yr Eglwys, which depends on foreign employees because there aren’t enough local candidates.
A care home manager reported that local interest in care sector jobs is insufficient, forcing reliance on foreign workers. The UK government has stated its intent to reduce immigration levels and to focus on training more domestic workers.
However, it seems that these modifications will have a negative effect because the care industry still depends largely on foreign workers.
Recent statistics reveal an 80% drop in applications for UK visas to work in the care sector in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year. In 2023, applications had increased from 58% in 2022 to 75% in 2023.
Since March, additional regulations have made it impossible for people relocating to the UK to work in the care industry to bring their families with them.
Cartref Bryn Yr Eglwys, located in Conwy county in the UK, has indicated its dependency on overseas staff due to the lack of local candidates.
Manager, Meryl Welsby lamented the inability to fill positions locally and said the new restrictions will make matters worse in terms of personnel.
“We’ve been trying to recruit locally for years, but no one applies for the jobs. No one wants to work weekends or nights, and it’s not attractive,” Welsby stated.
She wondered where they would obtain labor, if they couldn’t hire people from overseas.
A care home owner in Anglesey and spokesperson for Care Forum Wales, Kim Ombler issued a warning, stating that if both local and foreign recruitment efforts are unsuccessful, the new regulations may result in serious chaos, possibly even the closure of care facilities.
Concerns about the sponsorship procedure for caregivers were also brought to light by CFW.
According to the UK government, part of its strategy to decrease immigration is striking a balance between immigration laws and the need to develop skills and expand the home workforce.
However, given how much the system depends on the intake of foreign labor, it seems the intended effect is not being realized.
