Less than 4% of exploited care employees helped by way of UK executive scheme

Less than 4% of exploited care employees have reported locating new paintings in a multimillion-pound executive scheme designed to rematch them with new employers.

Analysis by way of the Work Rights Centre discovered simply 3.4% of the 28,000 exploited migrant care employees signposted to a carrier to seek out them new jobs had reported being rematched with a brand new employer, whilst 131,000 social care vacancies stay unfilled.

Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol, leader govt of the charity, stated: “After Covid, England desperately needed more care workers, and thousands of people from around the world answered that call in good faith.

“But instead of jobs they got scams, and instead of justice they got a referral to a programme that simply doesn’t work as intended.”

Thousands of carers who got here to the United Kingdom on employer-tied visas had been referred to executive job-finding services and products between May 2024 and April 2025 after being discovered sufferer of exploitative practices.

At least 470 care suppliers have had their licence to sponsor migrant care employees got rid of since 2022, after it was once discovered many charged employees 1000’s in sponsorship charges for jobs that by no means materialised, or introduced paintings under minimal salary ranges, in breach of UK employment and trendy slavery regulations.

New information published thru freedom of knowledge requests confirmed that as of 30 April, 941 migrant employees had reported locating selection employment with bona fide visa sponsors thru the federal government scheme.

The executive stated the self-reported information does “not provide a complete picture” as “workers were initially under no obligation to report their employment outcomes”.

Last month the federal government introduced plans to ban new recruitment from in another country for care roles and inspired employers to recruit other people from the present pool of displaced care employees.

Adis Sehic, coverage supervisor on the Work Rights Centre, stated: “Part of the government’s rationale in ending international recruitment in social care was that thousands of displaced and exploited workers already in England would be given the opportunity to do the jobs they were initially promised.”

She stated the knowledge steered that the programme has now not been efficient and raises “serious questions marks over the viability of the government’s plans to end international recruitment in social care”.

“As bona fide care providers face higher payroll costs, many shy away from taking on new recruits from the cohort of displaced workers,” she stated. “Workers are therefore still in limbo, labour shortages in care continue, and the pressure of caring for England’s frail and elderly is only likely to mount further.”

The charity is asking for extra flexibility for migrant employees to absorb jobs within the sector with out the prices of Home Office-approved sponsorship, in addition to harder consequences for non-compliant employers, together with fines and costs.

A central authority spokesperson stated: “Over 900 workers have been directly matched into new employment thanks to the international recruitment fund and thousands more are being supported through our regional partnerships with CV writing, interview techniques and signposting.

“Since April, employers wanting to recruit migrant care workers need to first consider recruiting from the pool of displaced workers – getting them back to work, into fulfilling careers and boosting productivity.

“To reduce reliance on international care workers in adult social care, and fully crackdown on abuse and exploitation of migrant workers, we have announced that we are putting an end to the overseas care visa.”