NewsDay learnt
that the Zimbabwean government withheld over 4 000 crucial verification
letters, a mandatory requirement for nurses seeking employment abroad.
This desperate
measure aims to stem the escalating exodus of healthcare professionals that has
left Zimbabwe's hospitals critically understaffed, with a staggering
nurse-to-patient ratio
of 1:30 in some
wards.
The UK's Home
Office has released a comprehensive policy paper outlining a significant
tightening of immigration regulations, a move spearheaded by both Labour and
Conservative leaders, who aim to drastically reduce net migration.
A key change
that directly impacts aspiring Zimbabwean nurses is the raising of the
qualification threshold for skilled worker visas from RQF level 3 (roughly
Alevels) to RQF level 6 (degree level).
While skilled
worker visas may still be granted for jobs at RQF levels 3-5, this will be on a
timelimited basis and contingent on the UK government's migration advisory
committee identifying a shortage of domestic staff and the relevant industries
demonstrating active steps to address recruitment gaps.
This policy
shift throws the plans of many Zimbabwean nurses into disarray, particularly
those whose qualifications may not meet the new higher standards.
According to
new UK immigration data, 17 421 Zimbabweans were granted health and care work
visas in the year to March 2023.
That’s 562%
more than in the previous year, when 2 630 such visas were granted. Newsday
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