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Britain almost doubled the number of visas awarded to foreign migrants coming to work in the health and care sector last year, government data showed, adding to pressure on prime minister Rishi Sunak over immigration ahead of the next general election. Immigration is one of the top three concerns for voters as the country gears up for an election expected later this year. Trailing the opposition Labour party in the polls, Sunak has vowed to bring it down. But data released on Thursday by Home Office was the latest set of statistics to show the scale of the challenge he faces. Britain granted 337,240 work visas in 2023, 26 per cent higher than in 2022, with the rise largely driven by those coming to the country to work in the care home sector. That follows figures released in November which showed annual net migration to the UK hit a record 745,000 in 2022 and has stayed high since. Visas under the 'Skilled Worker - Health and Care' route almost doubled, Thursday's data showed, rising by 91 per cent to 146,477 last year.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is calling for scrapping unfair benefit rules for migrant nursing staff, warning that these policies risk triggering a mass exodus from the UK's healthcare workforce. A recent RCN report indicated that two-thirds of internationally educated nursing staff are considering leaving the UK and returning to their country of training due to the high cost of living. The report, which is based on survey responses from more than 3,000 international nursing staff, also revealed that those from overseas are "twice as likely as domestic colleagues to report being in financial difficulty" and are "almost three times as likely as UK counterparts to withdraw from their pension due to the cost of living." It also highlighted the impact of the 'no recourse to public funds' (NRPF) rule, which prevents migrants on temporary visas, such as the Health and Care Worker visa, from accessing essential benefits. In response to this report, the union has urged the government to immediately end these restrictive rules and reduce visa fees, including Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application costs.