I provide care for your family members, including your parents and grandparents, whom you cherish dearly. I offer support during their moments of fear, hold their hands when they tremble, and provide solace during the quiet hours of the night. My role involves assisting them in regaining mobility, enjoying meals, and reclaiming their sense of humanity.
Many times, I am the source of their first smile in weeks. Each day, I dedicate myself to those under my care because they deserve respect, empathy, and affection. As a migrant care worker, I take immense pride in my work, driven not just by job duties but by my intrinsic nature.
Having arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker seeking safety and a fresh start, I found purpose as a caregiver. The gratitude and recognition I receive from the individuals and families I assist have given me strength and a sense of direction. However, I sometimes feel invisible to the nation I serve, unrecognized for the dedication and effort I invest daily.
My work entails long, exhausting shifts, and like everyone else, I pay my taxes and earn everything through hard work, patience, and compassion. Despite this, there are occasions when individuals refer to workers like me as a “burden” or even a “stranger.” Yet, my early mornings and late nights ensure that others’ loved ones are cared for and secure.
By filling roles that others are reluctant to take on, migrant care workers like me play a vital role in sustaining care homes and hospitals. Families stay intact due to our contributions, and the absence of migrant carers would create a significant disruption in the system, impacting millions of lives. The proposed 15-year waiting period before being eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain evokes a deep sense of disappointment and injustice.
Fifteen years of dedication, sacrifice, and loyalty have not garnered the trust and acceptance to belong permanently. We seek fairness and humanity, not special treatment or accolades. How can we be labeled a burden when we bear so much responsibility and support so many individuals?
I desire stability, respect, and the opportunity to build a future without enduring decades of uncertainty. As migrant care workers, we do not seek to take but to give back, a commitment we have upheld since our arrival. My earnest hope is for the UK, the country I serve, to acknowledge and reciprocate the care and dedication we provide each day.
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