By: Staff Staffer
May 15, Colombo (LNW): The United Kingdom’s newly proposed immigration policies, outlined in a recent White Paper, are expected to have significant implications for Sri Lankans currently residing in or seeking to move to the UK for work or study. The BBC Sinhala Service explored these impacts through insights from Sri Lankan nationals living in the UK.
Care Worker Visas to Be Scrapped
The most notable change is the decision to halt the issuance of visas for care workers — a route that brought thousands of Sri Lankans to the UK since 2020.
“This will be a major blow to Sri Lanka,” “From now on, no one can come to the UK as a care worker. However, those already here on a three-year visa may still be able to extend it.”
Longer Wait for Permanent Residency
The White Paper also proposes extending the eligibility period for permanent residency from five years to ten. Jayasekara raised concerns about how this change might affect those already working in the UK on long-term visas.
“There are people who are currently in the process of applying for permanent residency. If the policy affects them retroactively, it could become a major issue for many.”
These policy shifts have caused considerable anxiety among Sri Lankan migrants. “Many people reach out to me through social media because they’re worried about what the future holds.”“I Spent Over Rs. 900,000 to Come Here”
A Sri Lankan student from Gampola, currently in the UK on a student visa and working part-time in the care sector, told BBC Sinhala that his future remains uncertain.“I spent nearly Rs. 900,000 to get here. Some of my friends sold land or borrowed money to come. If we are forced to return, it would be a huge setback.”
A Move to Prevent Permanent Residency Applications?
Another young Sri Lankan working in the UK believes that the new visa rules are timed to block care workers recruited in 2020 from applying for permanent residency.
“In 2020, the UK recruited care workers from various countries at a salary of around £10,000. This year, many of them complete five years and would become eligible to apply for permanent residency. By extending the period to ten years, the government might be trying to stop them from staying permanently.”
“Many of My Friends Have Already Returned”
A Sri Lankan woman, currently on a post-study work visa, shared that several of her friends have already returned to Sri Lanka due to the uncertainties.
“Under the new rules, students get a two-year work visa after their studies, but even that is now uncertain. Four or five of my friends who studied with me have gone back home.”
She also noted the difficulty in finding jobs related to her field of study, often forcing graduates into unrelated employment sectors.
Demand in the Healthcare Sector Still High
Despite the visa tightening, the UK continues to face a massive shortage in its healthcare sector. In 2023, reports indicated over 110,000 vacancies across the NHS.
Sri Lanka remains among the top five countries contributing foreign-trained medical professionals to the UK. According to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, 4,427 Sri Lankans were registered for employment in the UK in 2023.
As the UK balances immigration control with its labor market needs, thousands of Sri Lankans in the country or planning to migrate are now left facing an uncertain future.
