Care homes in crisis due to Priti Patel's point based immigration system

Care homes and catering outlets face massive staff shortages because of the red tape surrounding Priti Patel’s points based immigration system.

It will take nine months to complete the paperwork to get clearance for EU migrants to work here once freedom of movement is switched off on 31st December.

So the Home Secretary wants firms to register now if they hope to hire degree-level staff from Europe in January next year.

But care homes rely on 90,000 EU migrants with another 700,000 in the hospitality trade.

And delays will be even worse for them.

That’s because they employ mostly unskilled workers and Ms Patel has ruled that they can’t start to recruit until January at the earliest.

That means on current timescales they might have to wait until September next year before getting the employees they need.

And as they struggle with the corona crisis they have no idea what overseas workers they will need so far in the future.

Former Immigration minister Caroline Nokes said: “This is deeply alarming because the care system could collapse.

“The whole thing needs to be streamlined.

“But the Home Office doesn’t appear to have estimated how many applications it might receive and so doesn’t know how many staff it will need to deal with them.”

Under the EU settlement scheme which successfully passed the three million mark last week 1,500 civil servants were on hand to process applications.

Ms Nokes, sacked by Boris Johnson when he became PM, has been quizzing her successor Kevin Foster.

He said: “Employers not currently approved by the Home Office to sponsor migrants should consider applying now if they think they will want to sponsor skilled migrants, including from the EU, from early 2021.”

Ms Nokes added: “They’re not getting the implementation right.

“Care homes are small businesses with a high turnover of staff. They cannot make judgements on who they need nine months in advance.”

Companies who already sponsor migrant workers from outside the EU should have no difficulties with the new system.

But for those who rely on EU nationals who had the right to work here until Brexit there will be major bureaucratic barriers.

Boris Johnson insists that despite coronavirus Britain is on track to end free movement on December 31st.

Cabinet Office minister Penny Mordaunt added: “This is enshrined in UK law.

“Our preparations for the end of the transition period continue as normal and remain a priority.”