Britain's nine-million night-time workforce increasingly relies on migrant labour, who are about twice as likely to work overnight as UK-born workers (2022 data). Migrants staff essential night roles — cleaners, care workers, chefs and warehouse packers — often at the cost of disrupted sleep, strained family life and limited career prospects. Recent government changes extending residency waits for some lower-skilled care workers and tightening visa rules have increased uncertainty for these workers and prompted warnings from employers about service disruption.
‘We Are Ghosts’: Migrant Night Workers Keep Britain Running — At a Cost
Care worker Omatule Ameh from Nigeria is one of Britain's nine-million-strong nighttime workforce, which has become increasingly reliant on migrants (HENRY NICHOLLS)(HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP/AFP)
"We are ghosts on the night shift," says Leandro Cristovao, who has spent seven years working the graveyard shift at a south London market. As Britain increasingly relies on a nocturnal workforce, many of the people keeping shops, kitchens, hospitals and supply chains running after dark are migrants — and their stories reveal the personal cost of keeping a 24-hour society moving.
Over the last decade, Britain's nine-million-strong night-time workforce has grown more dependent on migrant labour as fewer UK-born workers take night shifts. Official 2022 data show people born outside the UK are about twice as likely to work overnight as those born in the country. In health and social care, migrants account for more than a third of night staff.
The Office Cleaner
At dawn on a cold morning in central London, Roxana Panozo Alba moves against a stream of suited bankers into the offices she spent the night cleaning. The 46-year-old, originally from Bolivia and now a Spanish citizen, and her mostly migrant team clean toilets, kitchens, conference rooms and more than 500 desks between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am. Alba says she earns the London Living Wage (£13.85 an hour) and chooses nights so she can be with her children during the day. But she warns: 'Working at night is not good, it damages your health. You have to sleep in the day, but you can't.'
The Care Workers
Omatule Ameh, 39, came from Nigeria in 2023 on a care worker visa and now supports children with learning disabilities through the night in rural southeast England. He often manages only three hours of sleep while looking after his own young children during the day. Judith Munyonga, 44, from Zimbabwe, works 7:00 pm to 7:00 am caring for patients with spinal cord injuries and describes long, lonely hours spent monitoring patients in the dark. Both carers earn around the minimum wage (roughly £12.20 an hour) and say recent government changes — including lengthening the residency wait for some lower-skilled care workers from five to 15 years and ending certain family-reunification routes — have increased anxiety and uncertainty.
The Chef
Sandeep, a 21-year-old computer science graduate from Nepal, wipes grease from a 24-hour café counter after a 12-hour shift. He worked in the kitchen first as a student and stayed because he could not find a job in his field. With visa and salary thresholds rising, he fears returning to Nepal if he cannot secure higher-paid work. 'Everyone here is an immigrant,' he says, pointing to his colleagues. 'If we couldn't do it, the boss would have to shut down night service.'
The Warehouse Worker
Cristovao, 36, packages wholesale produce at a night market that supplies restaurants, schools and hotels. He recalls the disorienting toll of night work — nightmares and a feeling of being a 'ghost' — and describes the pride of keeping vital services running while others sleep. His employer warns that post-Brexit labour gaps and tighter visa rules could strain businesses that depend on night staff.
Why it matters: Migrant night workers perform essential roles that keep infrastructure, care and food services operating around the clock. Many accept long hours, sleep disruption and family separation for low pay and uncertain residency prospects. Employers warn that tougher immigration and visa rules risk disrupting night services that British society depends on.
Policy and public debate: The issue sits at the intersection of labour markets, public services and immigration policy. Changes to visa rules and residency pathways for lower-paid care and night workers have raised concerns among employees and employers alike about recruitment, retention and the human cost of night shift work.
What workers say: Common themes in interviews include sleep disruption, mental and physical strain, limits on career progression due to language or visa barriers, pressure on family life, and a desire for clearer, fairer pathways to secure residency or better-paid work.
Reporting by AFP contributors; translated and edited for clarity.
