Rishi Sunak delivered his maiden budget and quickly announced a major hike in fees for migrants to use the NHS (Picture: PA/Getty)

The government has been branded ‘shameful’ after it dramatically increased the amount that foreign-born citizens will have to pay to use the NHS.

New Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered his Budget on Wednesday and announced an extra £6 million for the health service to cope with the escalating coronavirus crisis.

But buried among the fanfare of extra funding was a hike in the immigration surcharge to £624 per year for an adult.

Critics say that the fee levied for migrants to use the NHS has now tripled within 14 months.


They said it is a continuation of the Conservatives’ ‘hostile environment’ and would impact most on migrant workers who actually staff the UK’s vital care services.

The move will also hit new workers coming from the EU after the Brexit transition period ends (Picture: Getty)

Stewart McDonald from the SNP said the move was a ‘shameful, petty and counterproductive.’



He added: ‘Our hard working citizens do pay tax after all.’

Lib Dem MP, Layla Moran, tweeted: ‘Tories are increasing the immigration health surcharge.

‘So migrant workers who we desperately need to staff vital services pay more even though they contribute on average more to the economy.

‘Shameful. #HostileEnvironment.’

The immigration surcharge is on top of regular tax and national insurance that all workers pay.

The levy is added on to visa applications as an annual fee and must be paid up front before permission is granted to work.

A single person will face a £624 annual fee from October while a child will pay £470.

This means that a family of four emigrating to the UK will now face a £2,200-a-year fee to use the NHS.

The Treasury estimates the levy will raise £1.5 billion by 2025.

However, the money is not ring-fenced to be spent on the NHS and can go to the Treasury for other projects.

The NHS relies on foreign-born workers to function (Picture: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

In January last year, the immigration surcharge stood at £200 and for EU migrants it was free.

The move by the Conservative party means the levy has tripled in less than two years and, after the Brexit transition period, newcomers from Europe will also face additional charges.

Documents published after the Budget read: ‘To ensure that new arrivals to the UK contribute to the funding of the NHS, the immigration health surcharge will be increased to £624.’

The announcement comes after the Government announced they want the ‘brightest and the best’ to head to the UK in a post-Brexit immigration shake-up.

But those without access to funds could be discouraged from coming to the UK to work, experts have warned.

Almost a quarter of UK hospital staff were born abroad, according to the Office of National Statistics.

The NHS Confederation said: ‘It is vital that such a surcharge does not discourage doctors and nurses coming to the UK to serve in the NHS, exacerbating existing workforce shortages.’