Undercover footage from a BBC investigation has unveiled shocking practices employed by immigration scammers targeting foreign nationals seeking employment in the UK care sector. Among those implicated is Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, a Nigerian doctor who previously worked in psychiatry for the NHS and now runs a recruitment agency called CareerEdu. The investigation reveals that agents like Dr. Alaneme exploit a lucrative yet fraught immigration system to charge desperate candidates for jobs that do not exist.
The Home Office has acknowledged vulnerabilities within the system, which became increasingly apparent following a 2022 expansion of a visa scheme intended for foreign medical professionals to also include care workers. Candidates must secure a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a Home Office-licensed employer before they can apply for a visa. However, this requirement is being manipulated by unlicensed agents.
Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO of Work Rights Centre, commented, “The scale of exploitation under the Health and Care Work visa is significant... it has turned into a national crisis.” The charity highlights the issue of power imbalance created within the sponsorship system, allowing predatory practices to flourish unchecked.
The BBC's undercover journalists approached several relocation agents, including Dr. Alaneme, who attempted to recruit them as agents, claiming it would yield immense profit. He tantalizingly promised, “Just get me care homes. I can make you a millionaire.” Behind such promises lies a sobering reality: candidates are charged substantial fees for non-existent positions, and Dr. Alaneme himself suggested paying £2,000 for every care home vacancy procured.
Victim narratives add a haunting context to the investigation. One victim, identified only as Praise, paid over £10,000 for a promised job in the UK, only to find upon arrival that it was a fabrication. “If I had known there was no job, I would have not come here,” he lamented, highlighting the desperation many feel.
Additionally, the investigation traced a pattern of sponsorship abuse. The care company Efficiency for Care reportedly processed over 1,200 Certificates of Sponsorship while employing only a fraction of that number, suggesting a staggering mismatch designed for exploitation. Although the company denied allegations of collusion with Dr. Alaneme and is in court to challenge its license revocation, the matter underscores the systemic issues at play.
In another segment of the investigation, agents like Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh were found offering fake CoS documentation while shifting focus from desperate care jobs to construction opportunities, preying on sectors facing labor shortages. After inquiries, the Home Office has revoked his licensing, yet he claimed ignorance regarding the legitimacy of the documents he sold.
The government is now taking steps to combat these abuses. A statement from the Home Office indicates new measures aimed at penalizing employers that exploit the system and prioritize hiring individuals already located in the UK. Yet, with over 470 licenses revoked within the care sector between July 2022 and December 2024, the scale of the issue raises concerns about the effectiveness of these measures.
As the BBC continues to report on similar scams, including targeting individuals in India and international students in the UK, the fight against these fraudulent practices remains ongoing. This investigation serves as a call for action against the exploitation of vulnerable workers in a system that has, to date, allowed such abuses to escalate.
