Immigration rules risk 'exodus' of thousands of nurses | Nursing Times
Tens of thousands of migrant nurses are ready to quit working in the UK because of hostile immigration policies and poor salaries, a report has warned.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has today said that latest government plans to crack down on net migration could “accelerate an exodus of migrant staff”.
“This situation is bad enough, but now the government’s cruel measures could accelerate this exodus”
Nicola Ranger
It comes as the college has unveiled a new report that found that thousands of nurses were planning on leaving the UK in search of better pay and conditions.
A survey of 3,000 migrant nursing staff revealed that just under half (42%) were planning on leaving the UK, with two thirds of those intending to move to a country other than their home country.
Those planning to leave were asked what would impact their decision to stay in the UK, with 70% stating their salary and 40% stating the UK Government’s immigration policies.
Applying the findings to the overall number of international recruits on the Nursing and Midwifery Council register, an RCN analysis found that up to 55,000 migrant nursing staff could be set to leave the UK in search of work elsewhere.
This figure does not include those in non-registered care worker roles, which could suggest thousands more are considering their future here, according to the college.
The report follows an announcement earlier this week by the government that it would ban the overseas recruitment of care workers by 2028, in controversial measures to cut net migration to the UK.
As part of the plans, set out in an Immigration White Paper, the government has also proposed doubling the qualifying period for migrant staff to apply for indefinite leave to remain to 10 years.
The RCN noted that migrant nursing staff could not access public funds until they were granted this settlement status, which costs more than £3,000 to apply for, leaving some resorting to food banks and charity assistance to make ends meet.
Conversely, other high-income countries like Canada and New Zealand offer permanent settlement on arrival. They also offer superior pay to the UK, the RCN report said.
The survey found that one in five nursing staff (22%) with no recourse to public funds struggled to buy enough food or meet basic needs, with 38% stating they struggled to pay their bills.
Nurses at the 2025 Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Congress discussed the consequences of the care worker visa ban.
Members of the union overwhelmingly voted for the RCN’s governing council to lobby UK governments to demand changes to visa and recruitment laws.
During the debate, Cheryl Nyabezi, chair of the South Birmingham RCN branch, said the ban was a “threat to our health service and the very values of fairness and care that define our society”.
Cheryl Nyabezi
She said: “Our healthcare system is already stretched thin. International healthcare workers have long filled these vital roles, often at great personal sacrifice.
“Blocking their access will deepen staff shortages, increase patient waiting times and burnout for the professionals we have left.”
Ms Nyabezi argued that the ban exposed darker issues around “the growing exploitation" of migrant workers through the employer sponsorship system.
She said: “Removing international workers while leaving exploitative systems in place does not solve the problem. It perpetuates it.
“It punishes the very people who hold the care system together.”
Meanwhile, Maria Cruz, an international nurse from the Philippines, explained that she came to the UK through the student visa route, which does not count towards the five years required to claim indefinite leave to remain.
“That means a longer time for me to be in the UK to be able to access or to be able to apply as a resident,” she said.
“Our family, future and stability are at stake, so we take this seriously.”
Meanwhile, the RCN report also found that over half (51%) of the nurses who responded to the survey had experienced harassment, bullying or abuse while working in the UK.
Some respondents reported negative impacts of this on their mental and physical health, as well as their job performance.
Of the nurses who had experienced harassment, one in five (18%) said they were considering returning to their home country because of it.
Similarly, more than two thirds (64%) of internationally educated staff reported facing discrimination or bias in the UK or workplace.
Some 46% of respondents said they had faced racism. For people from Black, Black British, African and Caribbean backgrounds, the figure was even higher, at 59%.
RCN general secretary and chief executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said the report showed that thousands of migrant nursing staff were “ready to leave the UK”.
She said: “This situation is bad enough, but now the government’s cruel measures could accelerate this exodus, doing great damage to key services.
Nicola Ranger speaking at RCN Congress 2025
“Closing the care worker visa route and making migrant nursing staff wait longer to access vital benefits is the hostile environment on steroids. They pay tax and work in our vital services, they deserve the same rights.
“Sadly, this government is intent on pushing people into poverty, away from the country, and with no credible plan to grow the domestic workforce in sight.”
Last month, nursing members belonging to the union Unison also warned that internationally recruited nurses in the UK were considering moving to other high-income countries with better pay, conditions and career opportunities.
A government spokesperson said: “It is a strength of our National Health Service that people come from around the world to care for our sick, and we must recognise the valuable contribution they make.
“But when we are recruiting from countries on the [World Health Organization] red list, it is clear that we need to end our over reliance on international recruitment and retain more homegrown talent.
“This government is also bolstering the social care workforce including through introducing a fair pay agreement for care professionals, providing them with the pay, conditions and opportunities for career progression that they deserve.”
