Key findings:

  • Of the 222,308 entry clearance visas awarded to individuals arriving on the “Skilled Worker – Health & Care” route since late 2020, 48.6% (108,105) were given to individuals from countries listed on the WHO’s “health workforce support and safeguards list”, the so-called “red list”.
  • In December, the Migration Advisory Committee’s annual report to Parliament warned that: “the labour shortages in health and social care sectors in red list countries are in part due to the workforce crisis caused by health and social care workers leaving their home countries. Government should consider careful planning within the UK to reduce reliance and consequent negative effects on red list countries”.