Tatenda Ncube and Brenda Mubaiwa, who travelled from Zimbabwe to Ireland in late 2023 seeking nursing positions, have each been awarded over KSh 4.4 million (€30,000) by the Irish Labour Court.

The workers were among nine Zimbabweans recruited by Unity Healthcare for a care facility in Virginia, County Cavan, that had not yet opened when they arrived.

Upon arrival, the facility was still closed and no employment was available, leaving the nurses without income and dependent on shared savings and informal work.

Unity Healthcare had previously secured a contract with Tusla, the Irish Child and Family Agency, to provide emergency care for vulnerable children, but the contract was cancelled a year after the nurses arrived.

The Workplace Relations Commission had initially awarded the nine workers a total of €273,780, about €30,420 each, describing the treatment as "particularly egregious".

Unity Healthcare appealed the WRC decision, but the Labour Court rejected the appeal because it was filed one day beyond the 42‑day statutory deadline, dismissing the director’s claim of "exceptional circumstances".

A separate case involving a third worker, Silibaziso Nondo, was overturned after the court found she had taken another job before the period covered by her claim, ending her relationship with Unity Healthcare.

The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, which represented the nurses, said the ruling highlights a recurring pattern where migrant workers pay substantial recruitment fees for overseas positions that never materialise.

Workers also reported long delays in receiving "letters of no objection" required for changing employers under Irish permit rules, with one nurse waiting seven months, causing missed job opportunities.