THE Chief Inspector of prisons has warned that a jail with 42 staff recruited from overseas would be left in crisis if the new visa restrictions are not reversed.
Britain’s prisons are facing a staffing shortage as visa rules threaten to force a wave of foreign recruits to return home.
There has been a surge in workers arriving from Nigeria and Ghana since 2023 after prison officer jobs became eligible for sponsorship.
Figures from Parliament show 769 people from Nigeria and 140 people from Ghana got jobs in the prison service in 2024.
But this summer the salary needed for a skilled worker visa was raised to £41,700 from £38,700 – meaning foreign prison officers may not earn enough to be able to renew their permits.
During an unannounced inspection of HMP Liverpool, Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: “Many of the 42 officers recently recruited from overseas were in danger of losing their visas to work in the UK due to recent changes introduced by the Home Office.
“This was creating significant anxiety for those staff involved and would impact heavily on staffing levels if these issues are not resolved at a national level.”
It was reported yesterday that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is “adamant” that the rules will not change and there will be no exception for the prison service.
The issue is also understood to be a huge problem at HMP Swaleside, in Kent, where a third of applicants are from overseas.
President of the Prison Governors’ Association Tom Wheatley previously told The Sun: “The current policy framework provides no viable route for retention or visa renewal for these individuals, leaving establishments at risk of losing recently recruited staff.”
