EVESHAM Labour chiefs have welcomed the waiving of the threatened £625 per person annual NHS surcharge for overseas workers in the health and care services.
The Government revealed the move would be scrapped following furore from Conservative MPs and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
David Haslam, chair of Evesham Labour Party, said: “We are delighted Boris Johnson has listened and acted to waive this iniquitous charge.
“However, many other ‘key workers’ locally will still face the charge, alongside steep immigration fees, despite their contribution to our society. This needs to be a first step in ending the hostile environment and humanising the immigration system.”
Party chiefs criticised the Government’s proposed Immigration Bill which sets income caps and labels as ‘unskilled workers’ many of the very NHS and care staff, agricultural workers and delivery and transport drivers on whom local residents and employers are currently relying during the Covid-19 emergency.
Helen Russell, Labour’s candidate for Mid Worcestershire at the last General Election said: “At a time when we read of the urgent need for workers to pick the fruit and vegetables now growing in our fields and with so many immigrant workers keeping our local health and are care services going, it is an ill timed bill.”
