Across Britain, millions of people sleep while an unseen workforce keeps the country moving. These are migrant night workers, men and women who clean offices, care for patients, cook food, and supply markets in the dark hours. Many of them describe themselves as “ghosts” because their work is rarely seen, yet it is essential to daily life.
Over the past ten years, Britain’s night-time economy has increasingly depended on migrants. As fewer UK-born workers take night jobs, migrants are now twice as likely to work overnight. In sectors like health and social care, more than one-third of night workers come from other countries. Experts say these workers are vital to maintaining Britain’s 24-hour society.
One of them is Roxana Panozo Alba, a cleaner from Bolivia. Every night from 10pm to 7am, she and her mostly migrant team clean offices in central London—desks, toilets, kitchens, and meeting rooms. She earns the London Living Wage and works nights so she can be with her children during the day. But she says the work affects her health, as sleeping during daylight hours is difficult and exhausting.
In rural southeast England, Omatule Ameh from Nigeria works overnight caring for children with learning disabilities. He arrived in the UK in 2023 on a care worker visa. By day, he looks after his own young children while his wife works. Often, he sleeps for only a few hours. He says the emotional and mental strain is heavy, especially with growing uncertainty about immigration rules.
Another care worker, Judith Munyonga from Zimbabwe, works 12-hour night shifts caring for patients with spinal injuries. She stays awake in dark rooms, sometimes listening to music through one earphone to keep alert. She worries about new government policies that have made it harder for care workers to gain residency or bring family members to the UK. She says it feels unfair to care for other families while her own future remains insecure.
In London, a 21-year-old Nepali chef named Sandeep works nights at a 24-hour café. Trained in computer science, he could not find a job in his field and had no choice but to work overnight for minimum wage. With stricter visa salary requirements coming into force, he fears he may be forced to return home when his visa expires. He says without migrant workers like him, many night businesses would simply close.
At a south London night market, Leandro Cristovao from Angola packages produce that supplies restaurants, schools, and hotels by morning. He has worked nights for seven years and recalls suffering nightmares and feeling disconnected from normal life. His employer says businesses like his are already struggling to find local night workers and fears tighter visa rules could harm the entire supply chain.
Despite the challenges, many migrant night workers remain proud of what they do. While most of the country sleeps, they clean, care, cook, and deliver. As Cristovao puts it, “While they are sleeping, we are here.” Their work may be invisible, but Britain depends on them every single night.
