CARE workers rallied outside Parliament today as their union Unison demanded fair visas and a return to a five-year rather than 15-year route to settlement in Britain.

The day of action saw care workers lobby MPs inside Parliament before splitting into two columns, one marching on Downing Street, where general secretary Andrea Egan handed a letter outlining their demands in to No 10, while the other headed to the Home Office for a vigil in memory of colleagues who have lost their lives under the current single-employer sponsorship model.

Unison is calling for a sector-wide visa scheme for social care, warning that workers whose right to stay in the country depends on an individual employer are unable to challenge unsafe working practices.

Testimonies at the vigil included workers being denied occupational health referrals after injury and even incident reports after being assaulted.

Care worker Bob paid tribute to Irene Mbugua, who was killed by David Walsh, for whom she was a live-in carer, as a dedicated professional who worked 40 and 50-hour weeks to support her family.

“We call for a certificate of common sponsorship” [for visas] “so that we don’t… lose more care workers due to a situation where they don’t have the option of changing employers,” he said.

Fellow care worker Princess said: “Like many of you I was invited to this country to help save a healthcare system on its knees.

“I was told that if I gave five years of my labour, of my taxes, of my time away from my family, I would be allowed to settle, allowed to belong. I came on that promise.

“I am here today because that promise has been broken.”

Unison warns that the government’s decision to require migrant workers to work here for 15 years rather than the previous five years will plunge social care into crisis.

National officer Clare Williams told the Morning Star it was especially unfair changed settlement rules could be applied retrospectively to workers already here.

“Migrant workers are not to blame for the struggles people are having,” she said, noting the increase in racist attacks on health and care workers.

“Unison opposes all kinds of racism and division — let’s bring people together [for] policies that address people’s troubles… not blame migrant workers for things they are not responsible for.”