Keir Starmer's immigration proposals face backlash from sectors reliant on overseas labor, particularly social care, which cites high dependency on non-British workers. Trade bodies argue that any immigration curb must be paired with measures to recruit and train local talent to avoid exacerbating skills shortages. Social care representatives express particular concern over the impact on vulnerable populations, warning that without foreign workers, many positions will remain vacant, negatively affecting care quality and availability. The ongoing labor shortages reveal the urgent need for a comprehensive plan to address both immigration and domestic workforce development.
Jess McGregor, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, highlighted that many older and disabled individuals depend on international workers for care, stating that cutting off this source without a replacement plan will cause significant concern among families and employers. "Almost a third of direct care workers in the UK are non-British, and cutting this off will worry many, especially considering that the recruitment of these workers has kept the system from faltering."
Gavin Edwards, head of social care at Unison, emphasized that the immigration of workers has been crucial to keeping the social care system afloat, illustrating how thousands of jobs remain unfilled. He noted, "Our system is much too reliant on overseas workers; without urgent strategies to recruit locally, we risk putting vulnerable people's lives at risk by failing to provide essential care."
Collection
[
|
...
]