The Labour government has admitted it has “no idea” how many of the 154,402 migrants who entered Britain on social care visas are still working in the sector or even remain in the UK, sparking fierce criticism from Conservative MPs who claim ministers have “lost control” of the borders.
Care Minister Stephen Kinnock revealed the startling admission in response to a parliamentary question, acknowledging that the government lacks any system to track whether foreign care workers remain in their jobs or have left the country entirely.
The revelation has exposed a significant gap in Britain’s immigration monitoring systems, with officials unable to account for workers who were granted visas specifically to address critical staffing shortages in the social care sector.
Data System ‘Not Designed’ for Tracking
Mr Kinnock, the Minister of State for Care who took office in July, told MPs: “The department does not hold data that directly links visa status to ongoing employment in adult social care or residence in the United Kingdom over time.”
Responding to Conservative MP Blake Stephenson’s question about how many care visa holders still work in the sector, the minister admitted: “As such, it is not possible to estimate the number or proportion of individuals who entered the UK on a social care work visa and who are still in the UK or working in the social care sector.
The MP for Aberafan Maesteg suggested workers may have ceased employment “for a variety of reasons,” including returning to their home countries or switching to different immigration routes, but acknowledged the government has no way of verifying what actually happened to them.
Surge in Care Worker Visas
The health and care visa scheme was introduced in February 2022 under the Conservative government amid fears the social care sector would collapse without foreign workers. The scheme allowed care workers to come to Britain if they secured employment with a Home Office-approved sponsor.
According to official figures, visa grants to care workers peaked dramatically at 107,772 in 2023 before plummeting to just 9,539 in 2024. The sharp decline followed Conservative restrictions barring care workers from bringing family members to the UK.
Industry sources suggest the true number of unaccounted workers could be even higher, as the 154,402 figure only includes those classified as providing “caring personal services” and may not capture all categories of care workers.
Opposition Demands Action
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the revelation as “shocking” evidence of Labour’s failure to control Britain’s borders. “They have lost control of our borders,” Mr Philp told The Telegraph. “We need to bring the levels of immigration down significantly and swiftly remove anyone who is breaching the conditions of their visa.”
The Conservative frontbencher called for a “binding annual cap on visas, set by Parliament at much lower levels than we have seen in recent years,” noting that Labour had voted against such proposals just weeks ago.
“This is further evidence of Labour chaos,” Mr Philp added, highlighting that the opposition had warned about inadequate monitoring systems when the scheme was expanded.
Labour Blames Previous Government
A Home Office spokesman defended the government’s position, stating: “This route, which we closed with our Immigration White Paper, was opened under the previous government.
The spokesperson emphasised that Labour had “inherited a data system which was not designed to monitor the long-term outcomes of health and care visa holders, including whether they remain in Britain or continue working in the social care sector.”
In an attempt to demonstrate progress on immigration enforcement, the Home Office claimed that “the number of people who have been returned from this country is up by 11 per cent since the election, including those who have overstayed their visa.”
Sector-Wide Implications
The admission comes as Labour implements significant changes to immigration policy, including the closure of the health and care visa route for new applicants from July 2025. Only care providers registered with the Care Quality Commission in England can now sponsor care workers.
Migration experts warned that the lack of tracking data could have serious implications for workforce planning in the care sector, which relies heavily on international recruitment to fill approximately 152,000 vacancies across England alone.
Professor Alan Manning, former chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, previously highlighted concerns about monitoring systems, noting that “effective immigration control requires knowing not just who enters, but who leaves and what they do while here.”
Historical Pattern of Lost Track
This is not the first time British authorities have admitted losing track of significant numbers of migrants. A 2020 National Audit Office report revealed the government had “no idea” how many illegal immigrants were living in Britain.
The latest revelation adds to mounting pressure on Labour’s immigration policies, with net migration having reached record levels of 866,000 in 2023 before recent restrictions began to take effect.
Care sector representatives expressed concern that uncertainty over worker numbers could hamper efforts to address chronic staffing shortages. The sector faces an estimated shortfall of 500,000 workers by 2030, according to Skills for Care projections.
White Paper Changes
Labour’s Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, outlined plans to link immigration and skills policies more closely. The government has tasked the Migration Advisory Committee with collaborating with Skills England to monitor sectors experiencing skill shortages.
However, critics argue these measures fail to address the fundamental issue of tracking existing visa holders. Without accurate data on current workers, planning for future recruitment becomes significantly more challenging.
The government maintains it has set out “a comprehensive plan” in the Immigration White Paper to bring “greater order to our system by reducing reliance on overseas labour,” but has not specified how it will improve tracking of visa holders already in the country.
As the debate over immigration control intensifies, the admission that 150,000 care workers cannot be accounted for is likely to fuel further controversy about Britain’s border management systems.
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