UK immigration scammers exposed by secret BBC filming | BBC News

Key Concepts:

• Visa scams targeting African migrants in the UK
• Health and Care Worker Visa
• Relocation agents and their role in visa applications
• Certificate of Sponsorship (COS)
• Exploitation of worker shortages in the UK
• Illegal charging of fees for job offers
• Sponsorship license revocation
• Breach of immigration rules and visa curtailment

1. The Problem: Visa Scams Targeting Migrants

• A hidden network of scammers in the UK preys on African migrants seeking a better life, defrauding them of thousands of pounds.
• The UK faces worker shortages, especially in health and social care, leading to eased immigration restrictions.
• Migrants need a Health and Care Worker Visa, requiring a job offer from a UK company.
• Scammers, often relocation agents, exploit the competition for visas by promising fast-track visas and guaranteed jobs for high fees.
• The UK government advises against paying for job offers, but awareness among Nigerians is questionable.

2. Case Study: Career Edo and Dr. Kelvin Alanime

• Career Edo, a UK-based relocation agency led by Dr. Kelvin Alanime, is highlighted for its potentially fraudulent activities.
• Dr. Alanime, a Nigerian medical doctor, claims to have helped 5,000 migrants start a new life in the UK.
• While offering legitimate services like career advice, Dr. Alanime is accused of running a "cash for job" scheme.
• Victims claim to have paid thousands of pounds for jobs that never materialized.
• Example: Praise paid over £10,000 and found no job upon arrival.

3. The Mechanism: Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) Scam

• Rogue agents charge for a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS), issued by UK-based employers (sponsors).
• A COS confirms a job offer, allowing migrants to apply for a UK visa.
• Undercover investigation reveals Dr. Alanime offering to pay for COS slots from care homes.
• Dr. Alanime plans to sell these slots to migrants in Nigeria for profit, charging full payment upfront.
• Charging candidates for jobs is illegal in the UK.

4. Dr. Alanime's Perspective and the System's Pitfalls

• Dr. Alanime acknowledges the illegality but profits from the desperation of Nigerians seeking to leave the country.
• He admits that sometimes employers do not have jobs, leaving migrants stranded.
• He claims to help those stranded migrants find other jobs due to the trust they placed in him.
• The system works when agents and employers get paid, and migrants get jobs, but migrants bear the risk when it fails.

5. Praise's Experience and Efficiency for Care

• Praise was promised a healthcare job and COS with a job offer from Efficiency for Care in Clacton-on-Sea.
• Upon arrival, Praise discovered the job did not exist.
• He faced financial hardship and narrowly avoided homelessness before finding another sponsor almost a year later.
• Efficiency for Care, a small company, issued over a thousand COS in a year, raising questions.
• In July 2023, the UK authorities revoked Efficiency for Care's sponsorship license.
• Efficiency for Care denies collusion with Dr. Alanime and is challenging the license revocation in court.

6. Undercover Operation and Ethical Concerns

• An undercover journalist met with Dr. Alanime, posing as having access to COS but no actual jobs.
• Dr. Alanime expressed interest, revealing his willingness to participate in a scheme where migrants would not have jobs upon arrival.
• Carlo Thomas, an ex-Home Office worker, explains the risks to migrant workers who breach immigration rules by not working in their sponsored role.
• Migrants could have their visas curtailed (shortened to 60 days).

7. Government Response and Unanswered Questions

• The UK government declined an interview but issued a statement emphasizing actions against employers who abuse the visa system.
• The government plans to ban businesses that flout UK employment laws from sponsoring overseas workers.
• The statement focuses on employers, leaving the fate of migrant workers already in the UK without jobs uncertain.

8. Conclusion

• The investigation exposes a complex and exploitative visa scam industry targeting vulnerable migrants.
• The focus is on the human cost of these scams, highlighting the desperation and hardship faced by victims.
• The video ends with a reflection on the emotional toll on migrants who may hide their struggles from family due to shame or fear of being perceived as failures.
• The reality of migration is often unspoken, leaving many migrants isolated and vulnerable.