The critical realist perspective which suggests that social reality is stratified informs this article, which attempts to uncover racial discrimination as experienced by Zimbabwean social workers within the UK social services. Research findings highlight racism perpetuated by institutional policies that have remained unchallenged for years but have continuously served to undermine foreign qualifications and devalue work experience of those recruited from the Global South. Also, the majority of the Zimbabwean social workers were reluctant to pinpoint what could be regarded as everyday racism, but they still showed agency in how they responded to both subtle and blatant forms of racism.