Health and Care Visa Expansion Brought 1.6 Million to 2.2 Million UK Entrants

Between 1.6 million and 2.2 million people entered the UK under the post-Brexit health and care visa expansion, GB News reported on July 14. The policy had aimed to fill a few tens of thousands of places in the care sector. Approximately 600,000 people arrived under the expansion, GB News reported, with half of them dependants who were not working.

Reform UK estimates that the lifetime cost of granting settlement to those arrivals could reach between £600 billion and £700 billion. Journalist David Shipley told GB News that the policy amounted to importing a large number of people who would cost the country a vast amount over their lifetimes if allowed to settle. He described the outcome as a disaster for the country.

Emily Carver asked what officials at the Home Office and the previous government had been thinking when they designed the expansion. Shipley replied that it was a good question.