Thousands of overseas healthcare workers in the UK will be granted visa extensions as the country stands guard against a third wave of coronavirus.
The Home Office said on Friday that eligible health and care workers whose visas expire in October will be granted an automatic one-year extension.
The government has already extended the visas of more than 10,000 people across the UK since last year.
Home Secretary Priti Patel praised the “dedication and skill” of overseas health professionals under the intense pressure on hospitals caused by the pandemic.
“Thousands of them have helped save countless lives throughout this pandemic and are now playing a vital part in the hugely successful vaccination roll-out,” she said.
“Our offer of free visa extensions shows how our country values the contributions of these heroes.”
The government listed doctors, nurses, midwives, biochemists, radiographers, podiatrists, pharmacists, social workers and speech therapists as among the health professions who could benefit from the scheme. The extension will apply to eligible professions in the National Health Service and the private sector.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said overseas workers were a vital part of Britain’s healthcare system.
“They are protecting our loved ones and vaccinating the public so that we can save lives and return to normality,” he said.
“To help those staff from overseas, we are extending their visas to provide security while they continue to tackle this virus.”
One in seven NHS workers are from overseas, with most coming from Europe and Asia, official figures show.
Unison, the trade union representing healthcare workers, welcomed the move but said it did not go far enough and claimed many lower-paid workers would be ineligible.
The union said workers such as hospital cleaners, healthcare assistants and porters would not benefit from free visa extensions.
“Many faced huge stresses and pushed themselves to the limit to treat and look after us all. It’s only right the government looks after them and makes their lives a little easier by granting free visas,” Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said.
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CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
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If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
World Test Championship table
1 India 71 per cent
2 New Zealand 70 per cent
3 Australia 69.2 per cent
4 England 64.1 per cent
5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent
6 West Indies 33.3 per cent
7 South Africa 30 per cent
8 Sri Lanka 16.7 per cent
9 Bangladesh 0
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Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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