https://cite.org.zw/uk-closure-of-care-work-visa-to-hit-zimbabweans-hard/. The United Kingdom’s decision to permanently shut down its care worker visa route is set to deliver a major blow to thousands of Zimbabweans who had increasingly looked to the UK’s care sector as a lifeline for economic survival and upward mobility. The policy shift announced by the UK government on May 12, as part of a sweeping overhaul of immigration policy, seeks to curtail what Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office has described as an “open borders experiment.” The changes are designed to reduce net migration by raising entry thresholds, ending care worker migration, tightening eligibility for settlement and citizenship while “backing British workers.” In a X post on the official 10 Downing Street social media account, the Prime Minister’s office stated, “We’re ending Britain’s open borders experiment.” “For too long, businesses were actively encouraged to bring in lower paid workers, rather than invest in our own people. We’re fixing the system and restoring control to our borders. Our current system is not selective enough about who comes to the UK,” said the prime minister’s office. Apart from raising the skills threshold to degree-level, raising English language requirements across every main immigration route, introducing a new contributions-based model to settlement and citizenship by extending the period before one can qualify for settlement from five to 10 years, where the prime minister’s office said “settlement in the UK is a privilege, not a right,” it also announced the decision to close the care work visa. “We’re permanently shutting down the care visa route. Care workers from overseas have made a huge contribution, but too many have been subject to abuse and exploitation,” said the office. “We’re moving away from our dependence on overseas workers to restore control and fairness to the system.” For Zimbabweans, the closure of the care work route will be “particularly devastating.” The Health and Care Worker visa had become one of the most accessible legal migration channels due to high demand for care workers due to the UK’s aging population, sponsorship availability under the Health and Care Worker visa and low academic barriers to entry. Many Zimbabweans, particularly women and youth, took advantage of this route, viewing it as a ticket out of poverty. “This is going to have a great impact on many Africans who want to relocate to Britain. We know there are many that have been going through this route,” said African Diaspora Forum (ADF) Secretary and Zimbabwean Community in South Africa Chairperson Nicholas Ngqabutho Mabhena in an interview with CITE. “We hope those that are already working in the UK are not going to be affected, but those that are making plans to travel to the UK, this is going to affect them. It means they will not be able to. They will have to try other options if they want to relocate.” Mabhena warned that the move could lead to a rise in undocumented migration. “Undocumented migration, paying unscrupulous agents or smugglers, and accepting abusive employment terms due to desperation,” he also, while laying the blame squarely on Zimbabwe’s economic decline. “The challenge is particularly that Zimbabwe has failed to rebuild our economy. This is why we hold a strong view that not only Emmerson Mnangagwa, the president, but the entire Zanu PF leadership must go, because it has failed to rebuild the economy, making it difficult for young people to survive.” As a leader of the Zimbabwe Communist Party, Mabhena said there was a need to amplify the voices for a new government to take over in Zimbabwe. “Zanu PF has betrayed the ideals of our liberation. The liberation was not about having only a few people enjoying the economic freedom that comes with it. So it is important that we unite as a people, focus on the removal of Zanu PF and rebuild our economy,” he said. Bulawayo North MP, Minenhle Gumede, also expressed concern, saying this was “very worrying” for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora and their families. “Many Zimbabweans have moved to the UK under the Health and Care Worker Visa, which allows them to work in care homes. Tighter rules could block new arrivals or force current workers to leave if they don’t meet stricter salary or sponsorship requirements,” she said. Gumede noted how Zimbabwe relies heavily on remittances from its Diaspora. “If fewer Zimbabweans can work in the UK, families back home may struggle. Many Zimbabwean care workers in the UK send remittances home that support families, pay school fees, cover medical bills, invest in housing or small businesses,” said the MP. “Those currently applying or hoping to apply may find themselves locked out. The move will disproportionately affect young people and women, who make up the bulk of Zimbabwean care workers abroad.” Critical studies scholar, Dr Khanyile Mlotshwa, warned that the effects would not only be economic but also emotional and psychological. “Some people sold property or borrowed heavily to process visa applications and pay agents. If visa routes are closed, those in the application process may lose substantial investments. Emotional distress will rise for families separated by migration whose plans are now disrupted, not forgetting that many Zimbabweans migrate under intense social and financial pressure,” he explained. While Dr Mlotshwa acknowledged some Zimbabweans may seek to move to other European destinations, such as Canada or Australia, or switch careers, he cautioned against generalisations: “Some of them are already citizens in that country and not necessarily in care work. So it’s not simple to tell what will happen to them or to talk about them as a block,” he said. *Independent journalism takes time, resources, and dedication,* *but we do it because your perspective matters.* *Support our work. Donate today* : *https://cite.org.zw/support-local-news/*