Home Secretary Amber Rudd brings in tougher measures to stop NHS health tourists with bills higher than £500
Those already in the UK face the threat of being booted out of the country if they rack-up health debt
THOUSANDS of foreigners fleecing the NHS will be barred from Britain under a new crackdown on rampant ‘health tourism’ by the Home Secretary today.
Amber Rudd will unveil plans to stop a migrant’s partner or spouse coming to the UK from outside the EU if they have an outstanding debt of just £500 with the National Health Service.
Those already in the UK will also face the threat of being refused ‘leave to remain’ if they have run-up a debt- effectively meaning they will be booted out of the country.
The move comes just a week after the National Audit Office (NAO) said the Government’s attempts to recover £500million lost every year to health tourism have proved a complete flop.
Just £289million was collected in 2015-2016 – half of which came from 10 acute and specialist trusts in London. The move threatens another backlash from the pro-immigration business lobby for Amber Rudd, just weeks after her controversial call for firms to list the proportion of migrant workers on their books.
Insiders admitted the new law – to be introduced in the coming months – could also cover foreign or Commonwealth squaddies once they are discharged from the Home Office.
But a source last night said: “This is a tightening of the rules.
“If someone has come to Britain previously, run up a debt of £500 or more, gone home, then apply for a family visa, they could be refused.”
The Home Office announced in April that it wanted to halve the debt threshold from £1,000 to £500 for all migrants. But it feared banning family members would breach the human rights act.
The Government’s new move will become law in the coming months and it will be announced today amid a package of measures designed to tackle ‘abuse’ of Britain’s immigration rules.
Another will force thousands of non-EU migrants to sit new English tests if they want to remain in the UK from the beginning of April.
The Home Office will also reveal that new “speaking and listening” exams will be introduced from April for any non-EU partner or family member wanting to remain in the UK beyond an initial two year stage.
The test “will mean that the person can better engage in everyday conversation and thereby better participate and integrate into everyday life”.
The Home Office decline to comment last night.