Former health and social care secretary Steve Barclay wanted to stop foreign care workers bringing dependants to the UK, according to a report.

The Telegraph said Barclay, who is now environment secretary, was blocked by DHSC officials and ministers in other departments.

The measure is one of several being considered by the government as part of a crackdown on net migration, which hit a record 745,000 in 2022.

Foreign health and social care workers are one of the leading causes of higher immigration with numbers doubling to 143,990 and their dependants totalling 173,896.

Care leaders have warned restricted access to foreign workers would exacerbate the current recruitment crisis in the sector, which has around 152,000 vacancies.

Other measures believed to be under consideration are raising the salary threshold for foreign workers to £35,000, capping NHS and social care visa numbers, and scrapping the Shortage Occupation List.

Speaking to Times Radio last week, Barclay said the government needed to go “further faster” on reducing net migration.

The Telegraph said Barclay wanted a database for foreign care workers so they could be tracked and not move into other, better paid sectors.

He was also reportedly in favour of more council funding so that care workers could be paid more to attract additional domestic workers.