“An act of social vandalism” – Carmichael criticises 83% drop in health and social care visas issued

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael has today spoken out against the government’s cuts to visas for health and social care workers and others, during a ministerial statement on migration in the House of Commons. Mr Carmichael noted that the number of visas issued for health and social care workers dropped 83% year on year in March due to changes in policy from the government, at a time when there are acute staff shortages in these sectors across the UK. Mr Carmichael also spoke about the government’s announcement that it had paid one asylum seeker to be deported voluntarily to Rwanda days before local elections.

Speaking in the House, Mr Carmichael said:

“The Times reports this morning that the number of visas granted for health and social care workers in March this year was 83% down on the figure for March 2023. Does the Minister expect that reduction to continue? If he does, who will do the work that those carers would have done, and what impact does he think it might have on the national health service?”

Responding, the Minister for Legal Migration, Tom Pursglove MP said:

“We have committed to monthly reporting on the net migration measures we have introduced to allow Parliament and others to take a view on our progress. There are extensive efforts across Government to employ more people from our domestic labour force. We are also working intensively to improve the processes for rematching individuals who are already here on health and social care visas. These are the right steps to take, and I will not pre-empt what the figures might look like in the coming months. The right hon. Gentleman will be able to look at them in the same way as everybody else.”

Reacting after the exchange, Mr Carmichael said:

“We all want high-skilled, high wage jobs in every corner of this country, but businesses and other organisations are crying out for worker support right now, a problem that is particularly acute in the isles. When health and social care services are so short on staff, what the government has done is an act of social vandalism.

“That comes on top of the government’s cruel decision to make family and spousal visas for the partners of UK citizens even more difficult to attain – a policy that penalises people for who they love and harms our communities.”

Referring to the government’s announcement that it had paid one asylum seeker to be deported voluntarily to Rwanda days before local elections, Mr Carmichael said:

“This really is cynical nonsense and demonstrates the sheer desperation of the Tories. Even if this were done under the “real” Rwanda scheme, sending one single person on a flight for the sake of some eve-of-poll newspaper headlines makes their madcap plans look more ridiculous, not less.

“It should not be forgotten that this is the Tories using a human being and public funds for their own short-term political purposes. The first is grim on a moral level – the second is taking money out of the taxpayer’s pocket for an election stunt. We all deserve better than this.”