‘Pretty dodgy’: alarm over suspect care agencies granted Home Office licence to act as visa sponsors

Campaigners against labour exploitation urge government to conduct more stringent checks before awarding powers

Hundreds of newly established care providers have been granted licences by the Home Office to sponsor workers from abroad, despite being newly established and having no track record of providing services in Britain, the Observer can reveal.

Suspected bogus companies with copy-and-paste websites, fake-looking reviews and PO boxes as addresses are among those granted licences allowing them to sponsor workers to come to the UK.