The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Migration Agency, has warned migrants to be wary of a syndicate that specialises in providing fake employment letters to Nigerians seeking to work in the United Kingdom, UK.
According to the IOM, over 260,000 Nigerians sought it in 2023, seeking advice on how to migrate via regular or allowed channels, as well as undertaking pre-departure medical health tests.
According to the UN, over a thousand Nigerians are currently stranded in the UK, having obtained visas based on fake employment letters procured for them, only to arrive in the UK and be denied work because the letters did not originate from those organisations.
Read Also: UK Paid Rwanda An Extra £100m For Asylum Deal
IOM’s Chief of Mission, Mr Laurent De Boeck, at a news conference Monday in Abuja, said; “There are some of them who lost over $10,000 only to be given fake employment letters, which allowed them to get visas. They get there, present the letters, and the organizations tell them that the letters did not emanate from the organizations. Over a thousand people are affected,” he stated.
De Boeck also stated that the IOM was collaborating with partners to return thousands of people, mainly Nigerians, from Tunisia, which recently imposed a migration ban.
He stated that the IOM is working closely with Italy to create regular channels for eligible Nigerians, and that it will also engage countries such as Spain, Belgium, France, and others.