Secret filming reveals brazen tactics of UK immigration scammers targeting foreign nationals applying to work in the UK care sector.


Among these rogue agents is Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, a Nigerian doctor who has previously worked for the NHS in psychiatry. An investigation by the BBC World Service has highlighted the alarming ease with which these agents operate, exploiting vulnerable individuals while evading detection.


The investigation reveals several concerning tactics employed by these agents, including:


- Illegally selling jobs within UK care companies

- Creating fake payroll schemes to disguise non-existent jobs

- Shifting recruitment efforts from care roles to other sectors, such as construction, which also face labor shortages


Reports of immigration scams have surged since a government visa scheme that initially aimed to allow foreign medical professionals to work in the UK was expanded in 2022 to include care workers.


To apply for the visa, candidates must first secure a "Certificate of Sponsorship" (CoS) from a UK employer licensed by the Home Office. Unfortunately, it is this requirement for CoS documentation that rogue relocation agents misuse.


Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO of the Work Rights Centre, a charity that assists migrants in accessing employment justice, states, "The scale of exploitation under the Health and Care Work visa is significant... It has turned into a national crisis." She points out that the sponsorship system inherently places employers in positions of power, contributing to the rise of predatory middlemen.


Two undercover BBC journalists approached relocation agents for the investigation. One met with Dr. Alaneme, founder of the agency CareerEdu, based in Harlow, Essex. His website claims to be a "launchpad for global opportunities catering to young Africans," boasting 9,800 satisfied clients. Believing the journalist was well-connected in the UK care sector, Dr. Alaneme attempted to recruit her as an agent, promising substantial profits.


"Just get me care homes. I can make you a millionaire," he claimed. As a potential business partner, our journalist gained insight into how immigration scams operate. Dr. Alaneme offered to pay £2,000 ($2,600) for each care home vacancy she procured and promised a £500 ($650) commission on top of that. He planned to sell these vacancies to candidates back in Nigeria, despite the fact that charging candidates for jobs is illegal in the UK.


"They [the candidates] are not supposed to be paying because it's free. It should be free," he confessed, lowering his voice. "They are paying because they know it's most likely the only way."


The BBC began its investigation after receiving numerous online complaints about Dr. Alaneme's relocation services. One complainant, Praise, from southeast Nigeria, reported having paid Dr. Alaneme over £10,000 ($13,000) for a supposed job with a care company called Efficiency for Care, only to discover upon arrival that the job did not exist.

"If I had known there was no job, I would not have come here," he lamented. "Back home in Nigeria, if you go broke, at least I can find my sister or my parents and eat free food. It's not the same here. You will go hungry."

Despite months of messaging Dr. Alaneme and Efficiency for Care about employment, Praise received no assistance or job offer. Nearly a year later, he finally secured a position with another care provider willing to sponsor him.

The investigation further revealed discrepancies in the operations of Efficiency for Care, which employed an average of 16 people in 2022, but claimed to have issued 1,234 Certificates of Sponsorship to foreign workers between March 2022 and May 2023. Although its sponsorship license was revoked in July 2023, the company continues to operate and maintains it lawfully recruited staff, having challenged the Home Office's decision in court.


During another secretly filmed interaction, Dr. Alaneme outlined an even more sophisticated scam, discussing how to obtain sponsorship documents for non-existent jobs. He falsely claimed that the "advantage" of having a CoS unrelated to a specific job is that candidates can choose any city in the UK to live, misleading them about the regulations of the Health and Care Work visa.