The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called for a strategic bilateral framework between Ghana and the United Kingdom to improve working conditions for Ghanaian health workers in the UK, as well as those planning to migrate to work there.
He made the disclosure after hosting a high-level engagement with the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Christian Rogg, where discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations between the two Commonwealth nations. The dialogue highlighted areas of progress in governance, the economy, and education, with particular attention to trade, skill development, and workforce training.
Ablakwa emphasized the urgent need for a formal bilateral working agreement, a call which comes amid the UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s 2025 measures to tighten skilled immigration as part of a broader “immigration reset” policy. Currently, Ghana has close to 10,000 health workers employed in the UK heath sector.
This is parallel with the Labour Mobility Agreement ratified with Qatar in December 2025 which agreement aims to increase the number of Ghanaian workers in Doha from 13,000 to 50,000 over the medium term, while ensuring enhanced working conditions and protections for Ghanaian nationals abroad.
This is parallel to the Labour Mobility Agreement ratified with Qatar in December 2025, which aims to increase the number of Ghanaian workers in Doha from 13,000 to 50,000 over the medium term, while ensuring improved working conditions and protections for Ghanaian nationals abroad.
Data reveals a sharp decline in UK visa grants to skilled workers from Ghana, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe, with an 80% or greater drop recorded. This shift is largely attributed to the fact that over 95% of skilled worker visas issued to nationals from these countries in 2023 were for Health and Care roles, a route now heavily restricted. International Relations researcher Dominic Semanya notes that this reflects Britain’s post-Brexit strategy to prioritise high-skilled migration while reducing overall numbers amid growing domestic political pressures.
The UK government, through Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, has defended the reforms as part of a broader overhaul of the immigration system. Central to the changes is the restructuring of the Skilled Worker visa route, which has reverted from the lowered RQF 3 (A-level equivalent) threshold back to degree-level requirements. The permanent closure of the Social Care Worker route has been particularly impactful, reducing health and care visa approvals from a peak of 45,071 in Q3 2023 to just 6,564 in Q2 2024, effectively closing a vital pathway for Ghanaian care professionals.
The broader implications for the UK healthcare sector are significant. Ghanaian nurses and care workers were instrumental in meeting the government’s target of 50,000 additional full-time nurses by March 2024. However, stricter immigration rules, including bans on dependents and requirements for firms to recruit locally first, now limit this route.
Analysts also note that the record 162,000 settlement grants in 2024, the highest in 13 years, likely influenced the government’s push for tighter controls. As the Home Office prepares its upcoming immigration White Paper, these reforms signal a major recalibration in how international skilled labour, particularly from African countries, will contribute to the UK workforce.
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