**Concerns Raised in Cardiff Over UK Government’s Immigration Plan and its Potential Impact on Social Care Sector**
Fresh concerns have emerged in Wales after Cardiff Council’s leader, Cllr Huw Thomas, publicly voiced apprehension regarding the UK Government’s recently unveiled immigration proposals. Amid an ongoing struggle to recruit and retain care staff, local authorities fear that suggested restrictions on the overseas recruitment of care workers could compromise the sector’s resilience and ultimately affect vulnerable residents who depend on vital social services.
Speaking during a ceremony marking the completion of a building project in Grangetown on Friday, 6 June, Cllr Thomas addressed the potential consequences of the Whitehall plans. The immigration white paper, a policy framework published by the government, seeks to tighten rules surrounding the employment of overseas carers, citing intentions to prevent exploitation and abuse in the sector. Officials in Westminster argue these changes are necessary to protect migrant workers from “shameful levels of abuse” and instances where jobs offered to them fail to materialise.
Despite those assurances, the move has triggered criticism from various organisations linked closely to social care. Many unions, care agencies and local councils, including Cardiff’s, argue that further limiting the pool of international workers could deepen existing challenges in recruitment and service delivery. These concerns are not confined to theory: anecdotal evidence from council representatives points to ongoing staff shortages, with the council advertising multiple vacant care roles as recently as May 2025.
Cllr Thomas remarked: “There are migrant workers contributing enormously to social care in Cardiff, often in demanding circumstances. As a council, we’re committed to supporting them, working hand-in-hand with trade unions to ensure the workforce is treated fairly and sustained for the future.”
He continued by highlighting Cardiff’s current relative strength: “While the city has managed to create a fairly robust marketplace for domiciliary care in recent years, there is little doubt that the proposed restrictions could undermine this resilience. Should the new measures take effect, the ability to deliver care services may be weakened, an outcome the council is actively seeking to avoid. We’ve already communicated these worries to central government, urging them to take local realities into account.”
The challenge is hardly unique to Cardiff. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), which speaks for councils across Wales, echoed these concerns about the fragility of the social care workforce. Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, WLGA’s spokesperson for Health and Social Care, stressed that longstanding recruitment struggles, particularly in rural and coastal communities, would only be exacerbated if international recruitment channels were cut off. He noted, “The Welsh Government’s commitment to a Real Living Wage has helped, but international recruitment remains critical to plugging gaps.”
Without a comprehensive and properly funded strategy to boost the domestic workforce, local authorities warn that limiting international recruitment now constitutes a “significant risk.” Cllr McCoubrey expressed concern that, in the absence of sufficient staff, the consequences would fall most heavily on older people, those with disabilities, and unpaid carers—groups who already rely heavily on overstretched care services.
The importance of including local perspectives in the policymaking process was also underscored by both Cllr Thomas and the WLGA. They argued that no national plan can succeed unless it truly reflects the experiences and needs observed on the ground by those who actually deliver and coordinate care. “Local authorities are uniquely placed to understand and respond to community needs. Their insights must inform any decisions made at a national level,” said Cllr McCoubrey.
While the UK Government’s intention to protect migrant workers is widely acknowledged, critics insist that such well-meaning reforms must be balanced with the pressing need to stabilise and grow the social care workforce. It remains to be seen whether officials in Westminster will revise their proposals in response to the mounting concerns coming from Wales and other affected regions.
The future of social care in Wales, observers agree, may hinge on finding this delicate balance between safeguarding vulnerable workers and ensuring continuity of care for those in need. For the many dependent on these services—and for those who provide them—the outcomes of this policy debate are likely to be felt for years to come.