The future of thousands of overseas health workers in UK is in doubt because @ukhomeoffice has failed to guarantee visa extensions for them during coronavirus crisis, @CommonsHomeAffs is told....

Although non-EU doctors, nurses & paramedics with skilled “Tier 2” visas expiring before October will be allowed to remain for another year, immigration experts tell @CommonsHomeAffs the rules don’t apply to overseas healthcare assistants, porters & cleaners...

..nor does visa extension scheme appear to apply to foreign doctors & nurses who are allowed to work in UK for other reasons, such as family ties. And nor does it apply, it seems, to health staff employed by agencies & private hospitals - who are helping tackle the coronavirus..

..according to @ONS in 2018, 111,000 people from outside EU were employed in healthcare sector in UK, about 6% of the total workforce. Over 2/3 worked for NHS...

Immigration experts @ColinYeo1 & Adrian Berry, from @ILPAimmigration also question legal basis for visa extensions announced by @ukhomeoffice. Summing up, @YvetteCooperMP says “The information you’ve given us is very troubling.” Waiting now for Home Office to respond...