According to reports, some Nigerians who paid con artists posing as United Kingdom (UK) skilled worker visa agents for fictitious jobs are now stranded in the UK.
According to a Sky News investigation, these job seekers paid these agencies significant sums of money to arrange their travel to the UK on skilled worker visas.
Blessing, one of the victims, whose name has been altered to protect her identity, revealed to the media on the cramped hallway of a food bank that despite being promised a job, she is today homeless in the UK.
She claimed to have paid a Nigerian “agent” £10,000 to find her a job before she came in the UK three months ago.
Upon entering the nation, she found, however, that there was no employment for her.
Blessing, who now lives on handouts from a food bank in Nigeria, claimed she did not submit the application herself because it is challenging to distinguish between genuine and false in that country.
She stated:
“I feel like a fool because of it. Since there are so many scams on the internet [in Nigeria], I wouldn’t have done it myself.
“I’ve always taken care of myself. I’m a highly conscientious and hardworking individual. Therefore, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to be here relying on others to feed me or to visit the food bank to buy food.
There are numerous. Dozens. Numerous people who I met here are still arriving long after I left. There is a significant scam ongoing.
The founder of the Nigerian Community Center in the Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale, Mary Adekugbe, told Sky News that the recent expansion has overwhelmed her.
She stated:
“Only 15 of the 35 to 40 regular visitors to the weekly food bank have visas for skilled workers. The situation is dire; we are overburdened. It really worries me.
The UK government costs between £625 and £1,423 for a skilled worker visa, depending on the applicant’s location and intended length of stay.
There is also a £624 yearly healthcare fee and a £1,270 availability requirement for the applicant to demonstrate their ability to maintain themselves in the UK.
Direct applications to the UK government are required, along with supporting documentation, from interested parties.
Source: OccupyGh.com
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