Foreign prison officers exempted from new stricter visa rules

Foreign nationals working as prison officers in the UK have been given a temporary exemption from new visa rules following warnings that some prisons are facing staffing crises.

Prisons are increasingly reliant on staff from abroad, particularly from Nigeria and Ghana.

But organizations representing civil servants have warned that prisons face losing thousands of staff after the government increased the minimum wage requirement for skilled worker visas.

The Ministry of Justice said the move would “ensure that prisons can continue to operate safely with the right level of experienced staff”.

Under changes introduced in July as part of efforts to reduce immigration, individuals must earn at least £41,700 to qualify for a skilled worker visa, instead of £38,700.

Prison officer starting salary It is generally below this amount, especially outside London.

The Prison Officers Association (POA) said the pay threshold changes meant prisons would lose more than 2,500 foreign nationals, which would have a “catastrophic impact on prison stability”.

Meanwhile, the chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, warned earlier this year that many prisons were heavily reliant on prison officers deployed from West Africa.

He said many were at risk of having their visas not renewed, which would have a “devastating impact” on prisons.

The exemption only applies to applicants already in the country and lasts until the end of 2026; A lower salary threshold of £33,400 is available until 31 December 2027.

The POA welcomed the new exemption, calling it a victory for “common sense”.

Steve Gillan, the union’s general secretary, said: “It may not be perfect, but it will mean prison services can remain stable.”

Mark Fairhurst, the association’s national chairman, added: “Our members can now go about their daily lives without the threat of removal.”

The Times newspaper reported Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood had initially resisted granting exemptions, arguing the focus should be on recruiting Brits.

Earlier this week, Justice Minister David Lammy told MPs he had spoken to Mahmood about the issue.

He said he wanted to recruit more prison officers locally but stressed that “the most important thing” was to meet demand for prison places.

A Home Office source said prisons were treated differently because of their emphasis on public safety and national security.

They denied Mahmood was against the move but said he wanted it to be temporary and for prisons to hire British workers in the future.

A Ministry of Justice source said prisons were under pressure and the exemption would provide “breathing space” to structure a program to recruit more officers from the UK.

A government spokesman said: “Net migration has already fallen by more than two-thirds under this government. We are clear that figures must fall further as we create a controlled and fair immigration system.

“But public safety is every government’s first duty and we must ensure prisons continue to operate safely with the right levels of experienced staff. This is vital given the prison capacity crisis we have inherited.”

Prisons have been able to sponsor visa applications for staff from abroad since 2023 due to a shortage of British applicants.

in April, the government announced More than 700 Nigerians were recruited to work in UK prisons last year; This nationality accounted for 29% of job applicants and 12% of staff recruited in prisons in England and Wales.

This has made Nigerians the most common nationality after Britons to apply for or be offered jobs in UK prisons in 2024.

This was followed by Ghanaians who received 140 job offers.

The Prison Governors Association said the increase in applications from West Africa was due to jobs promoted online by the foreign Nigerian community and word of mouth.