Newly released data has exposed a significant pattern of asylum claims from foreign nationals who originally entered the United Kingdom on visas designed for health and social care workers. The figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show that more than 10,000 individuals have sought asylum after arriving to work in the care sector, raising serious questions about the integrity of the visa route.
A Dramatic Escalation in Claims
The statistics reveal a rapid and dramatic increase in asylum applications from those on care worker visas. In 2021, there were just four such claims. This number rose to 36 in 2022 before surging to 856 in 2023. The most striking jump occurred in 2024, with 5,669 asylum claims lodged in that year alone. A further 3,671 claims were made in the first nine months of 2025.
This brings the total number of asylum claims from foreign care workers over a five-year period to 10,236. The route, created in 2020, saw more than 760,000 foreign nationals and their dependants apply for these work visas before it was closed to new overseas recruits in July 2024.
Political Reaction and Accusations of 'Bogus' Claims
The revelations have sparked fierce criticism from politicians and campaigners who have long warned that the care visa system was being widely abused. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp stated that the vast majority of the 10,000 asylum claims were likely to be 'bogus'.
He argued that most applicants came from countries considered safe, suggesting the asylum system was being used as a backdoor to remain in the UK after their work visas expired. 'These social care visas have been massively abused on an industrial scale to get into the UK,' Philp said. 'Many who came brought multiple dependants and many never even worked in the care sector.'
He called for the claims to be rejected and for the individuals to be returned to their countries of origin swiftly, advocating for a tougher asylum test focused only on those in genuine personal danger.
A Broader Trend and Policy Failure
The issue forms part of a wider trend. Home Office figures show that in the year to September 2024, there were 13,427 asylum claims from all categories of work visa holders, up from 9,392 the previous year. The most recent quarterly data (July to September 2024) saw such claims exceed 4,000 for the first time.
Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, described the care worker visa figures as 'shocking but inevitable', labelling the policy a 'colossal failure' that officials should have anticipated. Overall, migrants who initially arrived on a visa or permit accounted for 38% of the record 110,051 asylum claims made in the last year.
In response, a Home Office spokesman highlighted that net migration has fallen and pointed to the closure of the overseas care worker recruitment route. The spokesman also referenced a new proposed settlement model that would link accelerated citizenship to contributions to the UK economy and society, currently under consultation.
