Migrant nursing staff face mass exodus: RCN calls for end to unfair benefit rules

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is calling for scrapping unfair benefit rules for migrant nursing staff, warning that these policies risk triggering a
mass exodus from the UK’s healthcare workforce.

A recent RCN report indicated that two-thirds of internationally educated nursing staff are considering leaving the UK and returning to their country of training
due to the high cost of living.

The report, which is based on survey responses from more than 3,000 international nursing staff, also revealed that those from overseas are “twice as likely as
domestic colleagues to report being in financial difficulty” and are “almost three times as likely as UK counterparts to withdraw from their pension due to the
cost of living.”

It also highlighted the impact of the ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) rule, which prevents migrants on temporary visas, such as the Health and Care Worker
visa, from accessing essential benefits.

In response to this report, the union has urged the government to immediately end these restrictive rules and reduce visa fees, including Indefinite Leave to
Remain (ILR) application costs.