Health NHS faces migrant staff exodus as workers feel unwelcome in UK

Two in five international health workers are considering leaving the UK, with many citing feelings of not being welcome amid anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The union Unison warns that government proposals to tighten settlement rules for migrant workers, coupled with escalating visa fees and restrictions, threaten to deepen the ongoing NHS staffing crisis.

A Unison survey of nearly 1,900 international health professionals working in Britain found that 43% are now considering departure, with a quarter feeling unwelcome and a fifth reporting they feel unsafe.

The union’s head of health Helga Pile said: “The UK’s health and care services would collapse without the skilled workers who’ve come here from overseas. How we treat them matters – they should be respected, not taken advantage of and abused.

“It’s shocking so many NHS staff say they don’t feel safe or welcome in this country. No wonder so many are thinking of leaving.

“These findings make it clear ministers must think again about trebling the settlement period for crucial migrant health and care staff. Otherwise, the workforce crisis will get worse.

“Politicians of all stripes need to stop demonising people who are doing crucial work, often for very low pay. They’re the ones shoring up the UK’s crumbling health and care sectors. We simply cannot do without them.”

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Source: The Independent, 14 April 2026