A report published by David Neal, who was fired as Home Office chief inspector of border and immigration in February 2024, finds “multiple failings” with the government’s system for awarding care worker visas, reports The Guardian. This puts migrant workers at risk of exploitation, according to the report.

275 certificates of sponsorship were allegedly given to a care home with the use of ‘false information’. In another case, 1234 certificates were granted to a company that had only four employees when given its license.

The report emphasises how the sponsorship scheme should not be used in the same way for a high-risk sector such as health and social care, as it is used for more compliant sectors. The report also notes there is only one compliance officer for every 1600 sponsoring employers.

An earlier article released by The Guardian highlights how licenses are given to new companies only a few months old, and that 268 companies that have never been inspected by the CQC are given licenses.

In April, Caroline Emberson, Rights Lab Assistant Professor in Operations Management at the University of Nottingham released an article in The Conversation discussing David Neal's report and suggesting abuse in the sector often falls into one in four categories: debt bondage, recruitment, pay and substandard working practices.