Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp (Image: Getty)

Migrant care workers are continuing to bring large numbers of family members to Britain despite new restrictions, Home Office figures show. Just 12 health and care visas were issued to workers from Cameroon last year but a total of 180 visas were issued to family members from the same country in the year to March.

This was a ratio of 15 to one for new migrants from Cameroon in the 12-month period, although the dependants do not necessarily relate to the 12 migrant workers alone because family members can join main applicants who arrived in the UK in previous years.

There were 257 Ghanaian health and care worker visas issued and 2,131 visas issued to family members. There were 139 health and care worker visas issued to Bangladeshis and 747 visas issued to family members. There were 2,395 health and care worker visas issued to Indians and 10,504 visas issued to family members.

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The Home Office barred care workers from bringing family members in March 2024 and later extended the ban to all migrant workers unless they had a job at degree level or above. However, those already in the UK before the restrictions can still sponsor dependants.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, described the figures as “shocking” and used them to announce a new Conservative policy that would extend the ban to care workers already in the country.

He told The Times: “These shocking figures show far too many family members, including the family of people working in kebab shops and vape stores, are being let into the UK. The number of dependants is unacceptably high, the burden of supporting them all too often falls on the British taxpayer.

“Worker visas should not be a route to let in thousands more family members. It is an abuse of the system. Far too many people entered the UK on social care visas and the previous Conservative government was right to put a stop to it.

Chris Philp issued a warning about people working in vape shops (Image: Getty)

“But today’s revelations show those already here on social care visas are still bringing in large numbers of dependants. This must be urgently stopped. Social care workers already here should not be able to receive new visas for new dependants. We have seen hundreds of thousands of dependants of care workers come here, more than the number of actual care workers, and this must now urgently stop.”

High ratios were also seen more widely among migrant workers. Pakistanis issued 1,029 skilled worker visas and there were 6,155 dependants — a ratio of six for every worker.

The overall average across skilled worker visas was 1.3 dependants per worker. Europeans brought far fewer, with French workers — one of the main European groups — bringing in 701 family members for 1,804 workers, a ratio of 0.4.

Research by the Migration Advisory Committee found that migrants on skilled worker visas, including health and care workers, are more likely to stay long term. Some 85% of those who arrived in 2019 remained for at least five years, up from 74% for those who arrived in 2014. Migrants from wealthier countries are less likely to stay, while those from Africa, southern Asia and non-EU European countries had the highest rates.

These higher stay rates have increased the number obtaining indefinite leave to remain, granting permanent rights to live, work, study and claim benefits in Britain. This has prompted the government to announce new “earned settlement” rules, doubling the qualifying period from five to 10 years, with earlier options for those in public sector roles, highly paid jobs or who contribute through volunteering.

However, ministers face pressure to soften the changes for an estimated 1.6 million migrants already here. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering transitional arrangements, including possible exemptions for hundreds of thousands of care workers.

The Home Office said: “We have taken significant action to reduce the number of dependants joining workers in the UK, steps which have contributed to overall net migration falling by 82% in just three years. This has included restricting dependants for all occupations below degree-level, increasing language requirements and ending overseas recruitment for care workers.

“Visa numbers for foreign workers are down 50% from their peak in 2023 as these reforms take effect, and we will double the route to settlement from five to 10 years, ensuring it is earned through contribution and integration.”