A high-security prison is facing a potential staffing crisis due to changes in visa rules.

There are concerns that Sheppey’s HMP Swaleside will be badly hit because a third of job applicants there come from overseas.

According to reports in the Sun on Sunday, there has been a rise in workers arriving from Nigeria and Ghana since 2023 after prison officer jobs became eligible for sponsorship.

Figures show 769 people from Nigeria and 140 people from Ghana got jobs in the prison service across the country last year.

However, under a change in the skilled worker visa rules, they need to earn £41,700 - up from £38,700 previously.

This means foreign prison officers may not earn enough to qualify when they need to renew their visas.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor has warned it would have a “devastating effect” if a solution is not found.

And in another twist, Border Force signing-on bonuses have enticed many prison officers away from jails.

President of the Prison Governors’ Association Tom Wheatley said: “The current policy framework provides no viable route for retention or visa renewal for these individuals, leaving establishments at risk of losing recently recruited staff.”

Meanwhile, a recent Independent Monitoring Board report highlighted problems at Swaleside because of a staff turnover.

It said: “With a huge influx of new staff, especially from overseas, a lack of staff experience has impacted on the fair and humane treatment of prisoners.”

Swaleside, which is part of the Sheppey Cluster along with HMP Elmley and HMP Standford Hill, accomodates more than 1,000 prisoners.