THE care sector cannot function without a migrant workforce, Unison warned today after figures showed the number of people coming to Britain on a health and care visa is more than five times higher than when the route was introduced three years ago.

Taking into account dependants, the figure for 2023 rose to a total of 349,929 from 146,477 successful applications.

This is up from 157,636 in 2022 and 63,291 in 2021, the Home Office figures said.

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The government has let social care get into such a dire state that the sector can no longer function without overseas workers to fill the huge gaps in staffing.

“Instead of grappling with the real problems by funding social care properly and tackling the exploitation of migrant staff, ministers now want to make matters even worse by stopping potential carers from bringing their children here with them.

“Major reform of care is long overdue. But until care workers are paid at rates that better reflect the skilled jobs they do, the sector will struggle to recruit at the levels needed to meet growing demand.

“A national care service and a fair pay agreement for care staff is the only answer.”

The Home Office said the rise in health and care visas issued had been “largely driven” by care workers and home carers.

However, care workers will be banned from bringing their loved ones to Britain on such visas under new rules coming into force on March 11.

The government claims this will tackle “unsustainable and unfair levels of migration.”

The Work Rights Centre warned of a “rapidly growing population of vulnerable migrant workers, in a sector which has already been identified as [marked by] low pay, low protection and high risk.”