Zimbabwean-owned care agency is stripped of ability to endorse visas in UK

More than a hundred migrants and their families are at risk of being in the UK illegally after Renaissance Personnel, a care agency based in Brighton, had its sponsor licence revoked by the Home Office. This revocation came due to concerns about the authenticity of job vacancies and issues with staff payments.

The affected migrants, who were employed by Renaissance Personnel and had come to the UK based on promises of work, now face the dilemma of either finding a new sponsor within weeks or returning to their home countries. Many, like Muhammad and Fajar, have reported being unpaid and struggling to secure the promised work.

Renaissance Personnel, which operates in Brighton, London, and Buckinghamshire, is accused of recruiting far more workers than it had jobs available for, leading to significant issues for those who relocated under false pretenses. The company is also under scrutiny for failing to be inspected by the Care Quality Commission despite being registered.

The Home Office typically allows workers 60 days to find a new sponsor or leave the UK if their original sponsor’s licence is revoked. The Home Office has vowed to take robust action against exploitation and to support care workers in finding alternative employment.

Renaissance Personnel’s lawyers have stated they will challenge the revocation and deny allegations of mishandling recruitment or failing to pay staff. They claim that variable work hours in the care sector are a factor and assert that they are working to resolve payment issues and comply with regulations.