In an increasingly connected world, it seems ironic how dreams of opportunities can sometimes become tangled up in the webs of deceit. Recently, BBC Africa Eye, a team renowned for its investigative journalism, exposed a chain of unethical recruitment agents extorting foreign nationals, siphoning off thousands of pounds under the guise of securing work in the promising UK care sector.
More than 18,000 organizations in the UK provide services to support the country’s elderly and individuals living with disabilities. This sector, seemingly vast with opportunity, has been used as a backdrop for unscrupulous practices. But how did we get here, and more importantly, why?
In the gripping documentary titled “Stranded: Exposing the UK’s Immigration Scammers,” journalist Olaronke Alo delves deep into the murky waters of a thriving yet ghastly market. Here, migration laws and job market gaps provide exploitable weaknesses ripe for these scams.
The underhanded tactics employed by these agents, captured through secretive filming, reveal the disturbing modus operandi:
- Illegally selling positions within UK care companies.
- Promoting fake payroll systems to mask nonexistent jobs, ultimately leaving migrants in breach of Home Office regulations.
- Shifting focus as opportunities arise, from care to sectors like construction, which similarly suffer from workforce shortages.
The number of reported immigration scams surged following the 2022 expansion of a government visa scheme initially focused on foreign medical professionals to also include care workers. At the heart of this issue lies the requirement for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed UK employer—an instrument rogue agents skillfully exploit.
Through undercover operations, BBC Africa Eye’s journalists exposed this nefarious network, directly engaging with relocation agents on the ground. Enter Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, a physician with ambitions extending far beyond medicine. Dr. Alaneme’s agency, CareerEdu, purportedly positions itself as a launchpad for young Africans chasing global dreams. However, beneath this veneer lies a trail of exploitative practices, charging candidates for fictional jobs as if they were commodities.
In a revealing encounter, Dr. Alaneme, perceiving the undercover journalist as a potential partner in the lucrative UK care sector, attempted recruitment efforts, promising riches. “Just get me care homes. I can make you a millionaire,” he assured.
Such bold declarations unraveled a staggering network of deceit. For each care home vacancy secured, Dr. Alaneme would disburse £2,000 ($2,600), complemented by a £500 ($650) commission. These vacancies in care homes would then be marketed to candidates back in Nigeria—an illegal barter under UK law.
The victims, like Praise, faced heartbreaking experiences. Praise recounted how a job promised in Clacton-on-Sea never existed, leaving him close to homelessness. “If I had known there was no job, I would have not come here. I came here to do a job,” he lamented.
It wasn’t just one isolated case. The documentary team discovered Efficiency for Care, a care company that inexplicably issued over a thousand Certificates of Sponsorship yet employed a fraction of that number in the same year. Despite the Home Office revoking its license, the company vehemently denied any collusion with Dr. Alaneme, maintaining that their recruitment practices were above board. The matter, however, is now a legal battleground.
But the rabbit hole goes deeper. Another agent, Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh, found himself entangled in a similar scandal, accused of defrauding three individuals of nearly £67,000 while promising non-existent jobs. Despite claiming victimhood and ignorance surrounding the issuance of fake certificates, the fallout from these actions remains extensive.
“A Certificate of Sponsorship is a powerful document,” explained Matthew Bond, CEO of Borderless, a company focusing on immigration compliance. “Without it, one cannot attain a visa or move to the UK. Its high demand makes it an attractive target for exploitation.”
To counteract this exploitation, the Home Office has declared stringent measures against employers abusing the visa system, ensuring they face consequences for their transgressions.
Among those who suffered, Harry (a pseudonym), shared his heartbreaking story. Having lost close to £9,500, he articulated the profound disillusionment faced by many. “These scammers keep getting rich off people’s hard work. They’re destroying dreams.” Indeed, many like him bear not only their aspirations but the dreams of their families hoping for better futures.
These poignant stories remind us of the human cost behind immigration scams, urging both governments and individuals to remain vigilant. After all, migration should be about building bridges, not about extending traps, entrapping aspirations into despair.
*This investigation was conducted by Africa Eye and the BBC’s Global Disinformation Unit.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
