Politics

Reform Council Boss Warns Care Worker Visa Crackdown Could Wreck Services and Leave Elderly Stranded

Published on July 16, 2025

The leader of Kent County Council has issued a blunt warning to the Government over plans to tighten visa rules for overseas care workers, saying the move could push the struggling care sector to breaking point. Linden Kemkaran, who took the reins of the council after Reform UK’s shock election victory in May, has written directly to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging her to rethink the proposals before it’s too late.

Despite Reform UK campaigning heavily on reducing net migration, this letter from one of its most high-profile local leaders shows the party is facing a difficult balancing act when it comes to frontline services that heavily rely on migrant workers. Alongside Diane Morton, Kent’s cabinet member for social care, Kemkaran warned the changes would hit hard in their region, saying they are “gravely concerned” and that the new restrictions could leave care providers “on a cliff edge.”

The concern centres around the Government’s plan to shut down the social care worker visa route later this month under the new Immigration Bill. Once closed, care companies will no longer be able to bring in new overseas staff and will either have to hire UK nationals or extend the visas of those already in post, reported the Express.

In their letter, which was also sent to Care Minister Stephen Kinnock, the councillors said, “Due to the challenges facing the adult social care system in general, and care providers in particular, we urge you to reconsider these changes and look forward to your support in addressing these urgent pressing matters.”

They also raised the alarm about financial pressures piling up from recent changes to National Insurance contributions, warning that the cost increases, alongside tighter immigration rules, would create an unsustainable situation for many providers.

According to their figures, there are around 150 care providers in Kent alone who currently hold sponsorship licences to employ overseas workers. That number gives a clear picture of just how many services could be affected if the visa changes go ahead as planned.

They said, “Paired with the changes announced in the Autumn Budget in 2024 that resulted in changes to employer National Insurance contributions from April 2025, this is totally unsustainable, and the risk is that many care workers at this level will go home and leave providers on a cliff edge.”

Reform UK has yet to lay out an official stance on the visa issue at a national level, though the letter suggests local leaders are feeling the pressure of translating tough rhetoric into practical governance.

A Government spokesperson responded to the concerns, telling the BBC: “The expansion of the Health and Care route to include care workers has led to significant concerns over abuse and exploitation of workers from overseas. We have taken steps to address these concerns, but the evidence has shown that more needed to be done, which is why we are closing the route to overseas recruitment.”

With care homes already struggling to fill posts and demand for services continuing to rise, the row over visas is quickly turning into a flashpoint that could test the limits of Reform’s policies now that they hold real power on the ground.

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