“Abandoned, exploited, and sleeping on the streets” – Urgent call to end exploitation in social care recruitment

International recruitment has been a lifeline for the UK’s social care sector, helping to fill vital workforce gaps and ensuring that those in need receive the highest standard of care. However, thousands of migrant care workers are being lured to the UK under false pretences, only to be left jobless, homeless, and vulnerable to modern slavery.

On Wednesday 5th February, a landmark international conference was held at Chelmsford Civic Centre, bringing together industry leaders and government bodies to discuss both the benefits and challenges of international recruitment in social care. Representatives from Essex Police, The Essex Care Association, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI), the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), Caremark Chelmsford & Uttlesford, Anglian Care, and the anti-slavery charity Unseen joined forces to explore solutions that uphold ethical recruitment standards while maintaining the crucial pipeline of international talent.

The event was driven by the urgent need to address workforce shortages in social care. When Covid ended, many individuals who had temporarily worked in care while furloughed returned to their original industries, leaving behind a critical staffing gap. At the same time, the sector faced a mass exodus of experienced staff, resulting in a record 165,000 social care vacancies in 2022—the highest ever recorded by Skills for Care.

This crisis had severe knock-on effects on the NHS, which relies on a functioning social care system to free up hospital beds. Hospitals faced mounting backlogs but could not discharge patients due to a lack of capacity in social care. In response, the government added care workers to the shortage occupation list in 2022, triggering a surge in international recruitment. While many reputable providers adhered to ethical hiring practices, others saw an opportunity to exploit vulnerable workers, luring them to the UK with false promises of employment and stability—only to abandon them on arrival, leaving them jobless, drowning in debt and, in many cases, sleeping in cars, at bus stations, or on the streets. Many of these workers were left at high risk of exploitation and modern slavery.

Tanya George, Director of the Essex Care Association and Managing Director of Caremark Chelmsford & Uttlesford, spoke at the conference, emphasising the importance of ethical hiring practices:

“Our goal was to foster a constructive conversation about how we can continue to benefit from international recruitment while ensuring fairness, transparency, and worker protection. Recruiting from overseas has been invaluable for the care sector, helping to meet rising demand and deliver high-quality support to those who need it. However, we must ensure that every worker who comes to the UK is treated with dignity, has access to genuine employment opportunities, and receives the support they need to build a stable life here.”

“At Caremark Chelmsford, we have made the conscious decision to only sponsor workers already in the UK who have been abandoned by other employers and left struggling to survive. This approach ensures they have real employment, real support, and real prospects.”

A key voice at the event was Ronnie Gwanzura, a care worker who came to the UK in search of a better future but initially found himself stranded and unemployed. He shared his story:

“I came here expecting to work, to build a future. Instead, I found myself completely abandoned, without money, without a home, and with nowhere to turn. It was terrifying. I had given up everything to come here and was left with nothing. But then Caremark Chelmsford sponsored me. They didn’t just give me a job—they gave me back my dignity, my hope, and my future. I went from living in fear to feeling part of a family. Without them, I don’t know where I would be.”

The conference sent a clear message: international recruitment is vital to social care, but it must be done with integrity. Discussions centred on the need for better enforcement of existing regulations, stronger oversight of recruitment agencies, and support mechanisms for workers facing difficulties.

Bob Fortt, Prevent & Protect Officer, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, stated:

“The conference showcased the importance of partnership and collaboration in stressing the urgent need to protect vulnerable migrant workers from exploitation and ensure businesses follow ethical practices. It emphasised that everyone has a role in recognising the signs of modern slavery. The conference also highlighted the importance of businesses taking steps to protect their migrant workers and the consequences if they fail to do so. It also provided guidance on complying with sponsorship certificate regulations to support migrants working in the UK.”

Tanya George concluded:

“In my opinion, ethical international recruitment is not just a solution—it’s a necessity. With April’s changes from the UK government—rising NI and minimum wage costs, zero-hour contract restrictions, and no increase in local authority funding—the domestic social care workforce will shrink further, piling pressure on providers. NHS wards will become gridlocked as patients cannot be discharged due to a lack of social care support. Worse still, we could see a rise in modern-day slavery and a decline in the quality of care, and vulnerable people will go without the support they desperately need.”