UK Migrant Workers Use Asa Song in Liverpool Protest Against Longer Settlement Wait

Migrant workers and supporters used music, chains and a public demonstration in Liverpool to oppose proposed changes to the United Kingdom's immigration settlement system, which a major trade union says could substantially lengthen the path to permanent residence for some workers.

The demonstration was held on September 28 outside the Labour Party conference and was organised through UNISON's Fair Visa Campaign. Footage later shared by the union showed participants singing Nigerian musician Asa's 2007 song "Jailer" while some demonstrators wore chains as part of the protest. UNISON said more than 400 people took part.

The union said the choice of song and the use of chains were intended to express protesters' objections to immigration arrangements they believe leave some migrant workers dependent on individual employers. UNISON argued that workers whose visas are linked to particular employers can face greater difficulty leaving poor working conditions because changing jobs may also affect their immigration status and their families' future in Britain.

At the centre of the campaign is a proposed change to the period certain workers would need to complete before qualifying for settlement. UNISON said plans associated with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood could require care workers, National Health Service staff and some lower-paid public-service employees to wait as long as 15 years. The union is instead calling for the existing five-year route for skilled workers to be retained.

UNISON is also advocating a different sponsorship arrangement for social care. Its proposal would move away from dependence on a single employer and introduce sponsorship covering the wider sector, which the union says would give care workers greater protection against exploitation.

UNISON General Secretary Andrea Egan used the Liverpool demonstration to defend the contribution of migrant employees to public services. She argued that problems arising from insufficient investment in areas such as health and social care should not be blamed on overseas workers and called on the government to abandon the proposed settlement changes.

The debate has direct relevance for many Nigerians who entered Britain through health and care employment routes. UK Home Office figures cited in the report show that 18,143 Nigerian nationals received visas for care worker and home carer jobs in 2023. Nigerians, Indians and Zimbabweans together accounted for 58% of visas issued for those occupations that year.

The Liverpool action therefore combined a broader dispute over British immigration policy with concerns affecting migrant employees already working in essential services. The 15-year timeline described in the demonstration is a proposal opposed by UNISON rather than an account in the source of a settlement rule already imposed on all migrant workers.