Visa idiocy from uncaring Tories

■ Tory ministers are not extending visas to foreign care workers under new immigration rules because they are considered low-skilled (Mirror, July 14). Are they saying all care workers are without skills?

Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said the sector has in excess of 100,000 vacancies, so where will all these care workers come from?

Care workers, of which I’m not one – and irrespective of where they are from – must have a combination of skills, including great patience, strong commitment to care, awareness, problem-solving abilities, understanding, physical and mental strength, and the ability to be team players, to name but a few. And all this for low pay.

Such skills appear to be sadly lacking in these ministers – and so much for their clapping and praise for our key workers.

David Bonomi, Bristol

■ The Government’s post-Brexit immigration plans, which bar care workers from abroad from the Health and Care Visa, are both insulting and reckless. What a disgusting way to repay the vital contribution the many migrant care workers have made during this pandemic.

These workers have skills and dedication which deserve recognition.

If it were that easy to recruit suitable care workers from the UK, homes would have done so already. But perhaps it has something to do with the low wages.

This is another bad decision from this shambolic government, especially when experts are warning of an even more deadly second wave of the virus. Amanda Brown

Pulham St Mary, Norfolk

■ It is utterly disgraceful that the Government will not issue visas to care workers when the post-Brexit immigration system comes into effect from January.

What hypocrisy from a government that lauded the contribution these workers made in providing an essential service in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.

Now they are closing the door on these people from entering the UK – despite the chronic shortage of such workers.

M Smith, Chatham, Kent

■ Hasn’t the Government learnt anything from the care home crisis? Without foreign workers, a lot more than 20,000 care home residents would have died.

Either make them an exception to the rules or boost wages to help recruit more staff.

Tony Howard

Salford, Gtr Manchester

■ The news that foreign care workers won’t qualify for a visa is further evidence that the Tories don’t care about the welfare of our older and vulnerable people.

Without these carers from abroad the social care system is at risk of collapse.

Rob Parker, Ipswich

■ The way I see it, we have too many unemployed people in the UK and there will be even more due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus.

So let’s put some of these people to work in the care sector and provide training and education to make sure they have the right skills to do the job well.

Lisa Watson

South Shields, Tyne and Wear

■ Our care system was already struggling due to staff shortages caused by the Tories’ punitive austerity measures – and this was before Covid-19 hit.

So where will these nurses and care workers of tomorrow come from to facilitate the care of our growing infirm and elderly population in the future?

Sean Connolly, via Facebook