A distressing plight has unfolded among Nigerians in the United Kingdom who paid substantial sums to travel agents in hopes of finding better opportunities, only to be left grappling with destitution, hunger, and unemployment.
According to a report by Sky News, individuals from Nigeria, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that they had entrusted travel agents with their aspirations of securing skilled worker visas and jobs in the UK.
However, upon their arrival, they discovered that the promised employment opportunities were non-existent.
One of the victims, visibly distraught, shared her story from the confines of a food bank corridor, expressing her current state of destitution in the UK despite being assured of a job.
Another woman recounted how she had paid £10,000 to an individual she referred to as an “agent” in Nigeria to facilitate a job opportunity in the UK.
Contrary to her expectations, she found herself in a foreign land without the promised work.
“Their distressing narratives highlight the exploitation of Nigerians who are desperate to leave the country under the skilled worker visa system. These individuals are being promised a better life but are instead left in dire circumstances,” the report detailed.
Many Nigerians have found themselves struggling to survive, resorting to food banks and even facing homelessness.
READ ALSO: IPPIS failed to remit workers N26.6bn NHF in 2 years – FMBN
One of the people seeking refuge at a Nigerian Community Centre in Greater Manchester shared her experience of being provided with a bag of essential supplies from a food bank.
The shelves at the centre are stocked with donated items including bread, cereal, tinned tomatoes, and familiar African ingredients such as palm oil and beans.
Recalling her ordeal, she lamented, “I’ve always been self-sufficient and hard-working. It’s a difficult situation for me to depend on others for food, to visit a food bank. It doesn’t sit well with me.”
She also expressed frustration at not being able to reach out to the British company that sponsored her due to fear of repercussions that her contract might be terminated and she deported.
Furthermore, she mentioned that she hadn’t personally applied for the visa due to the prevalence of online fraud in Nigeria, saying, “There are so many scams on the internet [in Nigeria], you can’t distinguish what’s genuine.”
In reference to the false promises made under the skilled worker visa scheme, she emphasized, “It’s a widespread issue. Many people are affected. I’ve met several individuals here who are in the same situation. The scale of this deception is significant.”
Mary Adekugbe, the founder of the Nigerian Community Centre in Rochdale, shared her concern about the escalating issue of those on skilled worker visas seeking support.
READ ALSO: Kano Govt Approves N854 million for Mass Wedding of 1,020 couples
She described it as a “shameful” reality and noted that a significant portion of individuals visiting the weekly food bank were holders of skilled worker visas.
“We are overwhelmed. People are desperate. It’s so worrying,” she said.
She cited cases of a grown-up man crying like a baby and “children crying without food because their parents can’t work to support them. No houses. No job. This is alarming.”