MIGRANT social care workers and porters cleaning coronavirus-ridden hospitals have been left out of government plans to extend visas for foreign NHS staff free of charge.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has been under pressure to clarify an announcement last month in which she said that NHS staff whose visas were due to expire before October can automatically have them extended for free for a year.

MPs pressed the Home Secretary on whether this would also include NHS support staff such as porters, cleaners and financial workers, as well as those in the social care sector.

In a grilling from the home affairs committee yesterday on the government’s response to Covid-19, Ms Patel claimed that applying the fee-free visa extension to foreign social care workers was “challenging” because of difficulties getting information on their immigration status.

She claimed that she would keep the situation “under review.”

Committee chairwoman Yvette Cooper said it was “very unfair” that care workers, who have been described as being on the “new coronavirus front line,” were being left out.

“It also feels very unfair to the porters and the cleaners, the people who are scrubbing the virus off the door handles … that they are not included in this visa extension,” she continued.

Ms Cooper added that not only were workers expected to pay thousands to renew their visas, but were also forking out large sums on NHS surcharges despite contributing each day to the health service.

Ms Patel defended the surcharge, which adds £400 per year to visa payments, insisting that these costs go to the NHS directly.

On social media, Labour MP Diane Abbott hit back at Ms Patel’s comments.

“The Home Secretary is completely wrong,” she said. “People from overseas here working should not suffer NHS charges.

“They are already paying taxes. No-one should have to pay twice. But especially not NHS, social care and other essential workers.”

Labour MP and migrant rights activist Bell Ribeiro-Addy told the Morning Star that the Home Office’s offer to extend visas by just one year was “completely incommensurate” with migrant NHS and social care workers’ contribution to the country.

“Worst yet, the exclusion of key workers such as porters and hospital maintenance staff, and social care workers means that many of those the government has publicly praised, are effectively being told they will have to pay extortionate fees and reapply to stay in the country,” she said.

Ms Ribeiro-Addy said that the government must go much further to support foreign key workers, stressing that it should be “offering them indefinite leave to remain.”