‘Marriage breaker’: Nigerians react negatively as UK bans healthcare workers from bringing dependants

Some Nigerians have reacted negatively to the decision of the Government of the United Kingdom to ban emigrating health and care workers from coming along with dependents.

SolaceBase reports that the UK Home Office on Monday said its decision was to cut migration and tackle care worker visa abuse, stating that a disproportionate 120,000 dependants accompanied 100,000 workers to the country in 2023.

“Care providers in England acting as sponsors for migrants will also be required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the industry regulator for Health and Social Care – in order to crack down on worker exploitation and abuse within the sector,” part of the statement read.

“It forms part of a wider package of measures, which is being implemented as soon as possible, which means a total of 300,000 people who were eligible to come to the UK last year would now not be able to do so.”

READ ALSO: UK bans Nigerians, other overseas health workers from bringing dependants

Reacting to this new policy, Nigerians on social media described the law as ‘hoke breaker.” A Nigerian UK-based lawyer, Dele Olawale on his X account, @dolawanle, said many marriages will be ruined, saying “many sold their belongings to relocate to the UK either as students or skilled workers.”

Also, Harvey Olufunmilayo with his X handle, @DrOlufunmilayo said, “I do not understand or endorse this particular policy as it makes zero sense to me. 

“How can you say you want people to leave their countries to come to care for your families but you want the same people to leave their own families back in their home countries?

“Again it makes zero sense to me, but it is not my job to tell another country how to run their country. Their country, their choice.

“We as Nigerians only need to fix our own country so we would never be in this sort of situation where our lives and future will depend on the whims and caprices of another country’s decisions and policies.”

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Another X user @Adasu_d_gr8 observed that the new policy will “affect Nigerians the most because Nigerians are the major people leaving this country because of our leaders in search of greener pastures.” 

Recall that the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate revealed on Sunday that about 16,000 doctors in Nigeria left the country in the last five years and about 17,000 have been transferred.

Mr Pate, during an interview on Channel’s TV, Sunday, noted that Nigeria now has only 55,000 licensed doctors to serve its growing population of over 200 million.