Commons committee criticises Home Office for failing to monitor overstayers and protect migrant workers from exploitation
Home Office has come under sharp criticism from a cross-party group of MPs for its failure to effectively monitor whether foreign workers leave the UK once their skilled worker visas expire. In a new report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) accused the department of showing a lack of oversight and basic curiosity about the functioning of the visa system introduced in 2020.
According to the report, over 1.18 million applications have been made under the skilled worker visa since it was launched in December 2020, replacing the former Tier 2 (General) visa following the UK’s exit from the European Union. The route was later widened in 2022 to address post-pandemic labour shortages, particularly in the health and social care sectors, a move that contributed significantly to the rise in net migration.
However, the PAC found that the Home Office has failed to analyse exit data to verify whether individuals have left the country at the end of their visa period. Instead, it still relies on outdated airline passenger records and has not reviewed this data in any systematic way since the visa scheme’s inception.
Weaknesses in Enforcement and Oversight
The committee’s findings highlight a troubling gap in enforcement. The Home Office has yet to implement effective mechanisms to record visa overstays and it has not communicated clear plans to improve its tracking of migrant departures.
The report further uncovered disturbing patterns of abuse, including migrant workers being subjected to excessive working hours, poor living conditions and in some cases debt bondage. The department’s response to such exploitation has been labelled slow and ineffective.
Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, criticised the lack of transparency around support for workers seeking to switch employers.
Home Office Response: “We Are Repairing a Broken System”
Responding to the report, the Home Office acknowledged the shortcomings of the previous system stating it had inherited a broken immigration regime. A spokesperson pointed to recent efforts to curb abuse and restore public confidence, including:
- The highest ever suspension rate of sponsor licences since 2012
- Raising the salary and skill thresholds for skilled worker visas
- Ending overseas recruitment in the adult social care sector
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper echoed the committee’s concerns, admitting that the system hasn’t been strong enough. She insisted that improvements were under way and noted that while changes take time, “a lot of that system is now in place.”
She also revealed plans to roll out biometric checks in workplaces, which would use fingerprint data to verify legal working status, part of a broader strategy to enhance compliance and enforcement.
A System Under Pressure
Dame Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, acknowledged overstaying as a real issue that the department was working to address. However, Home Office failing to monitor overstayers continues to reflect a broader lack of robust data, which hinders efforts to manage immigration effectively.
With a new Immigration White Paper on the horizon, the government has pledged to lower net migration, raise skill levels and support domestic employment. But the PAC’s findings suggest the journey to a well-regulated immigration framework is far from over.
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