A migrant care worker based in Yorkshire faces being deported in May if he is unable to find work, despite there being over 12,500 vacancies in the sector, says UNISON today.
Tonye Chrisholm Jaja came to the UK from Nigeria on a health and care visa, when he was sponsored* by Universal Healthy Minds Ltd. But the company has had its license removed by the Home Office, as it was considered not fit and proper to sponsor migrant workers.
Tonye, who lives in Leeds and worked in the Wakefield district, has been without a sponsor since December, and although he has been trying to find a new one, employers are telling him they can’t offer full time hours, meaning they cannot meet the requirements of the visa scheme.
He has now been issued with a deportation notice. This means Tonye has until 2 May to find another sponsor, or leave the UK.
This would result in a skilled care worker leaving the country, despite the care sector having 12,700 vacancies, says UNISON.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside migrant worker lead Jordan Stapleton said: “Tonye’s situation is a clear example of the awful experiences faced by many migrant workers who come to this country.
“It is crazy that a skilled worker could be forced to leave the country when there are thousands of vacancies in the sector already.
“It’s time for the government to introduce sectoral sponsorship, as UNISON is campaigning for – meaning workers in Tonye’s position could secure full time work by combining contracts with different employers.
“The government should be doing all it can to fill these vacant positions – not turning skilled workers away.”
Notes to editors:
*- Workers are legally required to have a sponsor from a company licensed by the Home Office in order to come to the country to work. Vias rules state that if the worker leaves their job with that employer, they have 60 days to find another sponsor or are required to leave the country.
– UNISON launched a migrant worker charter in Yorkshire and Humberside so local authorities can make a commitment to tackle migrant worker exploitation.
– Click here to read a recent UNISON article highlighting the issue of exploitation of migrant workers.
