Undercover footage by the BBC has unveiled troubling strategies employed by recruitment agents targeting foreign nationals aiming to work in the UK care sector. The investigation highlighted the role of Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, a Nigerian doctor with NHS experience, who was seen promoting schemes that illegally sell job opportunities in UK care companies.
The investigation, performed by the BBC World Service, exposes the laxity within the immigration system that allows these agents to operate without fear of detection or repercussion. Notable tactics include the illicit sale of UK jobs, the creation of fraudulent payroll systems to obscure non-existent roles, and the shifting focus from the care sector to other industries like construction, which also require staff.
Since the expansion of a government visa initiative designed to bring foreign medical professionals to the UK in 2022—including care workers—reports of immigration scams have noticeably surged. Candidates for these visas must obtain a "Certificate of Sponsorship" (CoS) from an employer licensed by the Home Office, a requirement that has been manipulated by deceitful agents.
Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO of Work Rights Centre, articulated the severity of the situation, describing it as a "national crisis" fueled by systemic risks embedded in the sponsorship arrangement. This has opened the floodgates for predatory practices in the market.
The investigation featured two undercover journalists who approached various relocation agents. One of them met Dr. Alaneme, who operates CareerEdu in Harlow, Essex. Alaneme, claiming to have nearly 10,000 satisfied clients and promising financial success, offered the journalist a lucrative opportunity in exchange for securing job openings within care homes. He was prepared to pay £2,000 for each vacancy sourced and additionally provide £500 commissions.
However, this move represents a violation of UK law since candidates should not incur expenses related to job recruitment. Multiple reports surfaced regarding individuals, like one named Praise, who lost significant sums—over £10,000—believing they secured jobs that ultimately did not exist.
The investigation's findings revealed shocking discrepancies within registered companies like Efficiency for Care, which employed only a fraction of the number of foreign workers it had sponsored—from over 1,200 CoSs issued during an earlier period to just a handful of employees in the sectors they claimed to represent.
In another filmed interaction, Alaneme detailed advanced deception techniques for producing fake sponsorship documents and, astonishingly, suggested that newcomers could choose their city of residence irrespective of job attachment—a notion that contradicts the visa's legal stipulations.
The BBC's investigative team also consulted with recruitment agent Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh, uncovering his engagement in similar scams involving fraudulent CoSs. He claimed to pivot into construction amid tightening regulations in the care sector, offering sponsorships for foreign workers at steep prices.
A substantial number of licenses in the UK care sector were revoked recently, with claims that these entities facilitated the recruitment of tens of thousands of overseas workers, emphasizing the widespread nature of this unscrupulous activity.
In response to the ongoing challenges, the Home Office conveyed its commitment to enforcing stricter measures against employers misusing the visa system and committed to significant reforms aimed at ensuring fairness and transparency within employment recruitment processes.
The BBC continues to expose similar scams affecting vulnerable populations globally, spotlighting an escalating crisis that necessitates immediate action.
