By Exploitation and Desperation: Sri Lankan Migrant Care Workers Face Abuse in the UK Care System
Migrant care workers have long been hailed as the backbone of the UK’s care system, plugging critical staffing gaps in a sector under immense pressure. However, a recent survey of over 3,000 health and care visa holders paints a far grimmer picture—one in which many of these essential workers, including a growing number of Sri Lankans, are being exploited, forced to share beds, sleep rough, and pay exorbitant illegal fees to secure employment.
The survey revealed that just under a quarter of respondents had paid fees upfront—often to their employers or intermediaries—in exchange for the promise of a job. Shockingly, more than 100 respondents, coming from countries such as Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia, and now increasingly Sri Lanka, reported paying fees ranging from £5,000 to £20,000. Fifty of those surveyed paid over £10,000, and five brave souls were charged £20,000 or more.
For many Sri Lankan care workers arriving in the UK, the dream of a better life has turned into a daily struggle against exploitation. Many report being forced into overcrowded, substandard accommodation where nearly a quarter of those living in employer-provided housing are obliged to share a bedroom with multiple workers. One respondent described a scenario where 15 people were crammed into a one-bedroom flat, while another recounted living with nine others in a three-bedroom property. In some cases, the harsh realities of unaffordable rent and bills have driven workers to the brink—forcing a few to sleep rough.
Beyond the physical hardships, a disturbing prevalence of racism compounds the problem. The survey by trade union Unison found that more than 800 care workers experienced racist abuse at work, with 355 reporting it from colleagues and nearly 300 from their superiors. Fear of reprisals means that many migrant care staff are reluctant to speak out, with more than a third of respondents reporting threats of dismissal or redundancy when they raised concerns about their treatment.
Christina McAnea, Unison’s general secretary, condemned the exploitation:
“Care staff who come here from overseas are shoring up a crumbling sector. These workers should be treated with respect, not taken advantage of and abused. No one deserves to be treated in this despicable way. The government must overhaul the sponsorship system as a matter of urgency. This would help prevent exploitation and drive up standards across the care sector.”
Dr Shabna Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, added, “The racist treatment of migrant care workers, who are disproportionately people of colour, is symptomatic of the dreadful state of our broken care system. Chronic under-investment in the care sector has created a situation where the people who we rely on to care for our elderly and vulnerable are exploited and brutalised on Dickensian terms, by both the system of recruitment and then the conditions in which they are expected to work.”
Jamila Duncan-Bosu, a solicitor at the Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit, warned, “Exploitation is baked into the systems which the UK uses to recruit migrant workers. Workers who are tied to an employer and reliant on them for their ongoing visa status are far less able to escape exploitation. The current system is a gift to those who seek to exploit migrant workers, as they can be certain that there will be little oversight or scrutiny of their actions.”
Among those raising their voice is Pradeep Perera, a Sri Lankan care worker who arrived with high hopes of a better future. “I paid nearly £10,000 in fees before coming here. Since my arrival, I’ve been forced to share a small flat with five others. I’ve seen colleagues sleep on benches outside when they couldn’t afford rent. It’s hard to reconcile the promises made to us with the reality we face every day,” he shared, his voice heavy with disappointment.
The challenges are exacerbated by the structure of the UK’s sponsorship system. Care companies employing overseas staff must assign a sponsorship certificate to every migrant worker, which is crucial for securing a visa. Government figures show that there were 21,300 applications for health and care visas between April and December 2024. Yet, if a worker leaves their job or their employer goes bust, they risk deportation if they cannot secure a new sponsor within 60 days—leaving them vulnerable to further exploitation.
A government spokesperson responded to the findings, stating, “We are deeply concerned about findings from this report, and stand firm on our zero-tolerance approach to labour exploitation and abuse of our immigration system by unscrupulous employers. That’s why we have already set out first steps to ban rogue employers from sponsoring overseas workers, and will deliver legislation for the Fair Work Agency to ensure strong and fair employment rights for all. Businesses found guilty of breaching employment law will have their sponsorship licenses refused or revoked, and care workers affected by this will be supported to find alternative employment.”
The plight of Sri Lankan migrant care workers in the UK underscores a broader crisis within a care system struggling to meet its obligations. As the sector grapples with chronic under-investment and systemic failures, these workers—vital to the wellbeing of the nation’s elderly and vulnerable—are left to endure exploitation, racism, and precarious living conditions. The urgent calls for reform resonate louder than ever, as the voices of those on the front lines demand not only recognition but immediate action to restore dignity and fairness in the care system.
