Several Nigerians Stuck in The UK As Victims Of Visa Fraud 

A growing number of Nigerians are being duped into paying large sums of money in naira for job opportunities that do not truly exist under the United Kingdom’s skilled worker visa system.

The latest investigative report by Sky News, revealed the tragic predicament of Nigerian migrants who were forced to pay outrageous sums of money by “travelling agents” to enter the UK, only to discover that they were stranded and had not been given the jobs they had been promised once they arrived.

A Nigerian lady who paid £10,000 to an “agent” for a skilled worker visa that was intended to guarantee her employment as a caretaker in the UK has reportedly been left stranded.

The unnamed woman said she arrived only to find out the job did not exist upon her arrival.

According to the research, middlemen are allegedly being paid enormous sums of money to set up employment in the UK as caretakers that don’t exist, demonstrating how the skilled worker visa system is being misused. Many unemployed people struggle to make ends meet, resorting to food banks and even rough sleeping.

The founder of the Nigerian Community Centre in Rochdale, Mary Adekugbe, says a significant problem that is increasing her workload and is “shameful” is the need for support for people with skilled worker visas.

Also, a community volunteer, Jones Adekube, lamented the situation of another homeless lady who was too shy to speak with the correspondent.

Adekube said, “Last week we gave her bread and tuna because that’s what she can eat easily without cooking or warming.

“She did some work when she came in. Initially, they gave her one shift a week, which is 12 hours a week. As time went on, there were no shifts.”

In the 12 months leading up to March 2023, 170,993 skilled worker visas were granted, according to the report. Over half of all work visas awarded in the same period were grants, which have climbed over two and a half times in the health and care industry alone.