Hundreds of prison officers may have to return to home countries after UK visa rule change

Change in eligibility for skilled work visas means many foreign prison officers will not get contracts renewed

Hundreds of foreign prison officers will lose their jobs and could be forced to return to their home countries at short notice because of a change in visa rules introduced by Labour, governors and a union have warned.

More than 1,000 staff, mainly from African countries, have been sponsored by prisons across England and Wales allowing them to come to the UK on skilled worker visas.