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UK Unions Reject Care Worker Visa Halt

Published

4 months ago

May 12, 2025

Labour unions and stakeholders in the United Kingdom’s care sector have come out strongly against the government’s move to stop the recruitment of foreign care workers, describing it as a reckless policy that could cripple the already struggling industry.

According to The Guardian UK, the UK government is set to publish a new immigration white paper on Monday, which includes plans to ban the recruitment of care workers from abroad. This move is part of broader efforts by the government to cut down on legal migration and shift focus to local labour.

The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from unions and industry leaders, who argue that the care sector — already battling manpower shortages and funding challenges — heavily depends on foreign workers to function.

Reacting to the development, Professor Martin Green, CEO of Care England, lamented that the government’s decision amounts to “kicking the sector while it’s already down.”

“For years now, we’ve been surviving on limited resources, rising operational costs, and serious staffing gaps,” Green said. “International recruitment may not have solved all the problems, but it provided a much-needed lifeline. Taking that away now without offering any support or alternative is simply heartless.”

The UK’s largest trade union, Unison, also condemned the policy and demanded immediate clarification on the fate of foreign care workers already in the country.

Unison General Secretary, Christina McAnea, noted that the UK’s healthcare and social care systems would have collapsed without the input of migrant workers.

“Thousands of migrant health and care workers have kept things running. Now, they are left confused and anxious about their future. The government needs to assure them they’ll not be kicked out,” she stated.

McAnea also criticised the government for tagging care roles as “low-skilled”, insisting that the sector deserves better pay and recognition.

Figures show that in 2023 alone, over 58,000 foreign care workers entered the UK through the skilled worker visa route — accounting for nearly half of new entrants into the care workforce.

Meanwhile, the Labour government has defended the decision, describing it as part of a reset of the immigration system designed to reduce dependency on foreign labour and invest in British workers.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, speaking during a BBC interview, insisted that there are still untapped pools of labour within the UK.

“Employers should be looking to hire from those already in the UK, including people on existing visas who are yet to be deployed,”

she said. “There’s also room to extend some visas, but we believe it’s time to draw the curtain on recruiting new care workers from abroad.”

The policy continues to stir debate across the UK, with fears that it could worsen the staffing crisis in the care sector and increase pressure on families already struggling to access quality care services.

News

JUST IN: Kenya Airways Pays NCAA Sanction Fee For Passenger’s Rights Violations

Published

5 minutes ago

September 18, 2025

Editor

Kenya Airways has paid the sanction fee imposed by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority over passenger rights violations, including the case involving Nigerian traveller Gloria Omisore.

According to a post by the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, on his official X account on Thursday, the airline settled the penalty on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, following a series of meetings that included the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, airline representatives, and officials from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

“Kenya Airways has, on Wednesday 17/09/2025, paid the sanction fee as a penalty for the Gloria Omisore and other consumer protection-related infractions,” Achimugu confirmed.

He stressed that NCAA sanctions are not designed to punish operators but to strengthen compliance with safety and passenger-handling standards.

“As always, NCAA sanctions are not to punish operators, but to help improve their flight operations, especially with regard to safety and passenger handling protocols,” he said.

While commending Kenya Airways for complying, Achimugu noted that payment of fines does not conclude the matter, as the timeframe for resolving the cases has already elapsed. “The payment of sanction fines does not conclude the issues. The NCAA will follow through and is assuring both passengers and airlines of its commitment to protecting their rights and responsibilities,” he added.

Achimugu also emphasised the airline’s long-standing partnership with Nigeria, noting that the penalty was case-specific and does not diminish the positive aspects of its operations.

The NCAA said it would continue to enforce regulations to safeguard passenger rights and ensure airlines adhere to international aviation standards.

In February, Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore accused Kenya Airways of mishandling her during a disrupted trip that left her stranded at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Omisore, who had been denied boarding on her connecting flight to Paris due to a missing Schengen transit visa, claimed the airline had earlier assured her she was eligible to travel. The visa issue resulted in a 17-hour layover, followed by an additional 10-hour delay for an alternative London route offered by the airline.

During the long wait, Omisore requested accommodation and care, citing exhaustion and health concerns, but Kenya Airways declined, arguing that such provisions do not apply in visa-related denied boardings. The situation escalated into a confrontation, captured on video, where Omisore allegedly threw used sanitary pads at staff.

In response, the NCAA launched an investigation, finding Kenya Airways guilty of breaching consumer protection regulations and misleading the public in its initial statements.

On May 7, 2025, the NCAA sanctioned the airline, ordering compensation of 1,000 Special Drawing Rights for each of the three affected passengers, including Omisore, and demanding a public apology.

News

Flood: Residents Chide Edo Govt Over Failure To Show Concern

Published

13 minutes ago

September 18, 2025

Editor

Residents of Ekpoma in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State have lambasted the Governor Monday Okpehbolo-led state government over failure to show concern on the tragic incident where a cocoa merchant, Frank Omoruyi, was swept away by flood.

Recall that it was reported on Tuesday that flood swept away a man earlier identified as motorcyclist.

The residents, while expressing displeasure over the state government’s failure to send any rescue team to help recover the corpse, said they paid what they termed ‘good money’ to divers from Benue State to recover Omoruyi’s corpse from a burrow pit at Uwenbo area after two days of intense search.

The residents who lamented that no state government or local government official joined in the rescue operation, threatened to protest and stop further construction work of the Benin-Auchi highway.

A resident, Samuel Osarenkhoe said: “Two Benue boys were hired to get the body out. We paid them handsomely. He was a cocoa merchant. He was our member and a good friend.

Another resident, Luis Ebabulu, said: “They were saddened that no government official visited the community two days after the incident occurred.

“No government official has been here since the incident occurred. We have been contributing money to pay people to search for the body. We are coming out tomorrow to protest to stop the project. They cannot be doing roads and be killing us.

“Flooding and erosion problems have been worsened by the construction of the Benin-Auchi highway. The contractor channeled flood water to the borrowed pit.”

Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Paul Ohonbamu, said Governor l has desilted drainages across the state.

News

Police Disown Viral Recruitment Notice, Warn Against Fraud

Published

3 hours ago

September 18, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Police Force has disowned a recruitment notice circulating on social media, describing it as fake and warning Nigerians not to fall victim to fraudulent schemes.

The document, titled “Nigeria Police Force Recruitment Exercise 2025”, had invited applications from SSCE, OND, HND, and B.Sc. holders, listing requirements such as age limits, fitness standards, and academic qualifications. It also outlined an alleged application process through a supposed police recruitment portal scheduled to open on September 23, 2025.

The notice claimed that candidates were expected to be Nigerian citizens by birth, hold a valid National Identification Number, and meet minimum height and academic criteria. It also warned against membership of secret societies and directed applicants to submit various documents, including birth certificates and guarantor declarations.

In a post on its verified X handle on Thursday, the Nigeria Police Force dismissed the claims and stamped the document “FAKE” to alert the public.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) had earlier issued a similar warning. On August 30, PSC spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani clarified that no recruitment exercise had been announced for 2025.

“The advertorial currently in circulation is fictitious and diversionary,” Ani said. “The Commission has repeatedly urged young Nigerians eager to join the police to be patient and await the official process.”

He added that the forged documents being circulated bear no resemblance to the Commission’s official communication.

The police authorities reiterated that any official recruitment exercise would be publicly announced through verified government platforms.