Pregnant Sri Lankan care worker fears separation from family as Home Office letters target dependents

A pregnant Sri Lankan care worker living legally in the UK fears she could be separated from her husband and daughter after the Home Office reportedly ordered her dependents to leave the country, in what critics say is a contentious fallout of Britain’s immigration crackdown.According to a report by The Guardian, several families of overseas care workers have received letters telling dependent family members, including young children, that they must leave the UK, even though the primary visa holder has permission to remain and work.

Family faces uncertainty days before childbirth

Sachintha Warnakulasuriya, 36, lives in Scotland and holds a valid care worker visa sponsored by her employer. Her husband, Indika Kumara, and their six-year-old daughter are legally resident in the UK as her dependents.However, on June 4, the family received a Home Office letter stating that while Warnakulasuriya could stay, her husband and daughter would have to leave the country, The Guardian reported.The Sri Lankan-born healthcare worker, who previously qualified as a doctor in her home country, is due to undergo a planned Caesarean section on June 16.Her pregnancy has been classified as high-risk after she lost a baby in Sri Lanka. She told the newspaper the notice had left her deeply distressed and uncertain about the future of her family, including her unborn child.

Children among those reportedly receiving notices

The Guardian reported that it had seen multiple Home Office letters sent to children, some as young as five, instructing them to leave the UK.In a separate case, a letter was reportedly addressed directly to a two-month-old baby, stating that officials were not satisfied that “compelling or compassionate grounds” existed to justify granting permission to remain outside normal immigration rules.Immigration lawyers quoted by the newspaper said they had seen a rise in similar cases in recent weeks.

Other Sri Lankan families affected

Another Sri Lankan care worker, Varuni Arachchige, who has lived in Scotland since December 2022, told The Guardian that her family was shocked after her husband and two children were reportedly told to leave despite being listed as dependents on her visa.Arachchige’s visa has been extended until 2031. She and her family say they have complied with immigration rules, paid substantial visa fees, do not claim benefits and contribute through taxes.

Immigration crackdown under scrutiny

The cases have emerged amid sweeping changes to Britain’s care worker visa system. The UK government barred newly arriving care workers from bringing partners and children from March 2024 after estimating that around 120,000 family members had accompanied roughly 100,000 care worker applicants.A further ban on overseas recruitment of care workers was introduced in July 2025. However, the families highlighted in The Guardian report arrived before those restrictions took effect and argue that they entered and remained in the country lawfully under the rules then in place.The issue has sparked criticism from politicians, including Victoria Collins, MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, who urged the Home Office to reconsider decisions affecting one of the families featured in the report.She described the treatment of the family as “appalling” and said local residents had voiced strong support for them after learning of their situation.

Government defends reforms

A Home Office spokesperson said the government remained committed to welcoming people who contribute to British society but argued that immigration reforms were necessary following historically high levels of migration.The government has also proposed extending the standard route to settlement from five years to ten years for many migrants, with consultations on the changes currently under review.