Pete Wishart
WESTMINSTER, UK – Pete Wishart, Member of Parliament for Perth and Kinross-shire, has issued a forceful letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood MP, expressing “deep concern” over the immediate and devastating consequences of the government’s proposed immigration reforms on essential public services, particularly the care sector in Scotland.
Dated 5 December 2025, the correspondence asserts that the situation has “deteriorated dramatically,” with the proposed rule changes threatening the removal and collapse of long-established plans for permanent settlement in the UK for highly skilled migrant workers.
Crisis in Care Provision
Mr. Wishart highlights that his office has been “inundated” with representations from international care workers, NHS staff, long-term residents, and students who have contributed significantly to Scotland and built their lives in good faith.
The letter details the emotional and economic fallout:
- Forced Departure: Individuals are being “disrupted or downgraded” and “forced to leave the UK” despite relying on the system for support with dementia, chronic illness, and other daily care needs.
- Sector Instability: Hard-working carers, many of whom have failed to comply with the system due to abrupt shifts, now face the “prospect of removal, forced family separation, or the collapse of long-established plans.”
- Economic Recklessness: The MP argues that undermining these workers is “economically reckless” at a time when the UK faces an ageing population, a declining birth rate, and persistent vacancies in health and social care.
Call for Immediate Protective Measures
The MP accuses the Labour Government of shaping policy in response to “far-right narratives and fearmongering” rather than evidence and humanity, resulting in a “deep dismay” over the lack of rational public interest.
Mr. Wishart urged the Home Secretary in the “strongest terms” to introduce swift corrective action, including:
- Transitional Protections: Introducing clear protections for those already on the path to settlement, including those with long residency.
- Staff Provision: Ensuring continued provision for NHS and care staff with accrued years of lawful residence.
- Reassessment: Reassessing the impact of these reforms on areas like Perthshire, which faces significant demographic pressures, as it has the largest proportion of over-85s in Scotland.
The MP concluded by stating, “The economic cost will follow swiftly if urgent corrective action is not taken,” warning of “irreparable harm” to individuals who have given so much to the country.
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