MPs accuse the Home Office of negligence as 1.18 million workers go unmonitored after their visas

The UK’s immigration system is under fire again—this time for not knowing if foreign workers actually leave the country when their visas expire.

A damning new report by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) revealed that the Home Office has failed to monitor basic exit data since the skilled worker visa route launched in December 2020. Over 1.18 million migrants have come to the UK via this scheme, which replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa after Brexit.

But no one appears to be checking whether they ever left.

Despite record levels of net migration and repeated pledges to tighten border security, MPs say the department has shown “little curiosity” about how the flagship immigration route is functioning—or whether it’s quietly fuelling a shadow workforce.

“The Home Office has no idea how many of these workers are overstaying their visas or working illegally,” the PAC concluded in its scathing assessment. “There has been no analysis of airline passenger records since 2020.”

Instead, the department relies on outdated data systems and has failed to analyse airline exit records for more than four years. Even now, ministers offer only vague promises to “modernise” border systems and improve digital checks—despite repeated warnings that the current approach invites abuse and exploitation.

The skilled worker route was expanded by the Conservatives in 2022 to plug gaps in the health and social care sector during the pandemic. But that expansion helped drive net migration to historic highs—prompting Labour’s Yvette Cooper, now Home Secretary, to ban overseas care recruitment altogether in May.

What’s worse, say MPs, is the growing evidence of modern slavery and exploitation. The committee uncovered “widespread” abuse, including debt bondage, punishing work hours, and unsafe conditions—especially among care workers.

Yet, the Home Office was accused of being “slow and ineffective” in responding to these warning signs.

Permanent Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo recently admitted that overstaying was a “problem” the department is “fixing”. But the PAC says that’s not enough.

“It’s astounding that in 2025 the Home Office still doesn’t know who has left the UK and who hasn’t,” said one committee member. “That’s a basic requirement of immigration control.”

Critics say the failure to enforce visa expiry conditions not only erodes public confidence in immigration policy—but opens the door for worker abuse on a national scale.

With 1.18 million skilled worker visa applicants since 2020, the lack of exit checks means thousands may be working illegally under the radar—exploited, underpaid, and invisible.

The Home Office has so far offered little clarity on how or when it will improve its systems. Its previous statements promised a border overhaul and improved digital checks, but PAC members say they have seen no timetable or detailed plans.

Labour’s clampdown on overseas recruitment may curb future inflows, but the ghosts of past policy failures are now coming home to roost.

As Britain grapples with public anxiety over immigration, MPs warn that border security without exit control is no security at all.

THE INDEPENDENT

The UK Home Office is under fire after a damning Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report revealed it has failed to track whether over 1.18 million skilled foreign workers left the country after their visas expired. Since the visa route’s launch in 2020, the department has not analysed airline exit data, raising fears of widespread overstaying and illegal employment. MPs slammed the Home Office’s outdated systems and lack of urgency in addressing the issue, calling it a major failure in immigration enforcement. The PAC also warned of rising exploitation, particularly among care workers, citing cases of modern slavery, debt bondage, and unsafe working conditions. Despite promises to modernise border controls, no detailed timeline has been provided. Labour’s recent ban on overseas care worker recruitment may curb future inflows, but the failure to monitor past visa holders continues to undermine public trust. Critics say without proper exit checks, Britain’s immigration system is unfit for purpose and risks fostering a hidden, exploited workforce.

UK PARLIAMENT

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has sharply criticised the UK Home Office for failing to assess the risks of exploitation and visa non-compliance in its Skilled Worker visa system. A new report reveals the system—expanded in 2022 to support the care sector—made migrant workers vulnerable to abuse due to their dependence on employer sponsorship. The committee found “widespread” cases of debt bondage, excessive hours, and unsafe conditions, and said the Home Office failed to act despite early warning signs. It still cannot confirm how many workers became modern slavery victims or what happens to those whose sponsorship ends. Crucially, it has no data on whether visa holders leave the UK after expiry, having failed to analyse exit records since 2020. The PAC warns the recent ban on overseas care recruitment could worsen workforce shortages unless underpinned by better domestic hiring plans. Chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown called for urgent cross-government reform to restore trust and protect vulnerable workers.