The United Kingdom (UK) has commenced the implementation of a dependents’ ban on migrant caregivers as part of its efforts to reduce migration levels. 

In a post on its official X handle on Monday, the UK Home Office announced that care workers entering the UK on Health and Care Worker visas are no longer permitted to bring dependents.

The move is aligned with the UK government’s plan to achieve a significant reduction in migration levels. The measure was originally announced in December, with Social Care Minister Helen Whately acknowledging the contribution of overseas care workers while emphasizing that immigration is not a long-term solution to the country’s social care needs.

The implementation of the dependents’ ban reflects the UK government’s broader strategy to crack down on net migration, which has been steadily increasing, reaching record levels. Net migration, which experienced a temporary decline during the pandemic, has been on the rise again and is projected to reach a record high this year. Official figures published in November 2022 estimated net migration to June 2022 at over 500,000.

In addition to the dependents’ ban for migrant caregivers, the UK government has introduced restrictions on family members accompanying foreign students, particularly for non-research postgraduate courses. Under the new proposals, only students enrolled in postgraduate research programs will be eligible to bring dependents to the UK while studying.