The Public Accounts Committee warned the Government did not even know whether people were leaving the UK after their visas expired.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the committee, said the speed which the Government opened up the visa system to cope during the pandemic came ‘at a painfully high cost to the safety of workers' with labour market abuses and people not following the rules.

Over 1m people applied to enter the UK through the skilled work visa route between December 2020 and the end of 2024. The MPs said the Home Office had failed to monitor visa compliance of many workers.

The committee said the Labour Government's ban on overseas care worker recruitment from 22 July 2025 could have a major impact on the care sector given increasing demand on services.

It called for the Home Office work across Government to establish an agreed response to tackling exploitation and to fully assess how it tackles non-compliance, including what measures are in place or will be put in place to record when people leave the country.

Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers and co-convenor of the Cavendish Coalition said: ‘The Cavendish Coalition strongly advocates for the continuation of skilled worker visa programmes to address workforce shortages in the health and social care sectors and ensure safe delivery of care and support for those who need it. We are also calling for a specific social care visa for care workers which is not tied to one employer and would allow staff more flexibility to move between organisations.

‘Modern slavery and the exploitation of international workers — especially those on skilled worker visas — remain significant concerns in adult social care. The Cavendish Coalition is committed to driving out any supplier who has used the work permit support for social care to exploit staff.'