‘THREATENING to sack thousands of migrant nursing staff is abhorrent beyond words,’ Royal College of Nursing (RCN) General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said yesterday.
She was responding to Reform UK’s announcement yesterday that it would abolish the right of migrants to qualify for permanent settlement in the UK after five years, if it wins the next election.
Ranger continued: ‘These are people who have come to the UK to care for patients and become part of our communities. They deserve so much better than this.
‘The policy of retrospectively removing people’s rights in this way would be unprecedented, leaving migrant nursing staff unable to work or access welfare, despite having paid tax.
‘It shows neither compassion nor an understanding of the fundamental role our brilliant migrant nursing staff play in health and care. Without them, services would simply cease to function.
‘As the largest nursing union, we are deeply concerned by the increasingly hostile rhetoric shown towards migrants. We urge all political parties to end this race to the bottom and instead acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of those who come to the UK from overseas.’
British Medical Association (BMA) Council chair Dr Tom Dolphin said: ‘This announcement will cause a great deal of anxiety and distress to our much-needed and valued international workforce, including international doctors, who are the backbone of the health services in the UK and who the population owes so much to.
‘It is outrageous that these staff, who have been given the right to stay in the UK indefinitely, and who have been contributing to the NHS, the economy and their communities, now face the uncertainty of not knowing if this will be ripped away from them.
‘Many more will also be working their way towards this – and now they are looking at that goalpost disappearing before their very eyes.
‘With huge workforce shortages, the NHS relies on international staff at all levels.
‘Even with a new five-year visa, these plans send completely the wrong message to those considering coming to the UK to offer their skills to our health services and patients.
‘At a time when we ourselves are haemorrhaging doctors overseas, this policy would make Britain an even less attractive place to practice medicine.
‘We need stability and long-term planning to safely maintain our healthcare workforce, and policies like this that ignore realities in the NHS will destabilise things further, putting patients at risk.’
Ashley Stothard, immigration lawyer at national law firm Freeths, said: ‘Reform’s proposal to abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is outrageous.
‘It undermines the rights of lawful migrants who have contributed to the UK socially, economically, and culturally. These individuals have built lives, families, and careers here, often over many years, and to suggest retrospectively removing their status is not only unjust, it is unworkable.
‘This kind of policy rhetoric is deeply harmful. It targets individuals and families whose only “offence” is choosing the UK as their home.
‘Rather than offering solutions, it stokes division and uncertainty and disregards the fundamental principle of fairness and compassion that should underpin our immigration system. I would urge all parties to engage in responsible dialogue that reflects the values of a modern, inclusive British society.’
