A BBC investigation has exposed a widespread immigration scam exploiting foreign nationals desperate for UK care sector jobs. Rogue agents—including a Nigerian doctor and a Ghanaian recruiter—have been caught charging tens of thousands of pounds for fake positions, falsifying payrolls, and leaving victims like Praise from Nigeria stranded and destitute. The UK Home Office has vowed a crackdown in response.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
The BBC’s year-long probe, detailed in the Africa Eye documentary Stranded: Exposing the UK’s Immigration Scammers, uncovered a predatory network preying on African migrants, particularly Nigerians lured by the UK’s demand for care workers. At its center is Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, a Nigerian doctor and founder of Essex-based CareerEdu, who was exposed for orchestrating a cash-for-jobs scheme that violates UK law.
Undercover journalists, posing as business partners, recorded Alaneme boasting, “Just get me care homes. I can make you a millionaire in pounds,” offering £2,000 ($2,600) per vacancy plus a £500 ($650) commission. He admitted candidates were illegally paying for jobs, saying, “They are not supposed to be paying because it’s free… but they’re paying because they know it’s most likely the only way.” Alaneme claimed to have relocated 5,000 migrants, charging Nigerians like Praise over £10,000 ($13,000) for nonexistent roles at Efficiency for Care, a Clacton-on-Sea firm.
Praise, from southeastern Nigeria, arrived in 2023 to find no job awaiting him. “If I had known there was no job, I would not have come here,” he told the BBC, surviving on custard creams as his funds dwindled. “At least back home… I can find my sister or my parents and go and eat free food. It’s not the same here. You will go hungry.” Efficiency for Care issued over 1,200 Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) between March 2022 and May 2023, despite employing only 16 staff in 2022 and 152 in 2023. Its sponsorship license was revoked in 2023, though it denies collusion with Alaneme and is challenging the Home Office in court.
The scam’s sophistication was further revealed by Alaneme’s admission of using fake payrolls to deceive authorities. “They give Eddie £1.5k… Eddie will take away the tax… and pay them £1.3k, and it keeps on revolving,” he explained, suggesting migrants work unrelated jobs to create a paper trail showing care employment. Immigration expert Carla Thomas warned this breaches visa rules, putting migrants at risk of deportation: “They will not be performing the duties… they are sponsored to do.”
Another scammer, Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh, targeted the Ghanaian diaspora, charging up to £42,000 ($54,000) for fake construction CoS after care sector regulations tightened. Victims like Mabel, who lost £35,000, and others, who collectively paid £67,000 at one table, spoke of shattered families. “I have to work endlessly,” Mabel said, having repaid £22,000 in debts. Agyemang-Prempeh’s license was revoked post-investigation, though he claimed he was also a victim, alleging he unknowingly passed on fake CoS.
The UK’s care worker shortage—projected to require 500,000 more workers by 2035—has opened the door to such exploitation through the Health and Care Worker Visa. Agents manipulate the CoS system, which is essential for visas, by selling sponsorship slots—some real, many fake—leaving migrants stranded. Dora-Olivia Vicol of the Work Rights Centre called it a “national crisis,” blaming a sponsorship system that empowers employers and middlemen. Since 2022, 133 care providers have lost their licenses after issuing 19,500 CoS, with an unknown number of victims.
The human toll is devastating. Victims like Harry, who spent £9,500 (17–18 million naira), sold assets, and resigned from a well-paying job, are left broken. “I sold land and properties… collected loans,” he said, sobbing. “A penny I have not sent to my mum.”
The Home Office declined interviews but pledged “robust new action” against rogue employers, banning violators from sponsoring workers. From April 9, 2025, care providers will be required to prioritize UK-based international workers under a November 2024 policy shift.
Alaneme denied CareerEdu offers jobs for cash, claiming it only provides visa and travel assistance, and said Praise’s payment went to an agent for logistics. Agyemang-Prempeh also insisted he was scammed. However, the BBC’s evidence—including secret recordings, victim testimonies, and Home Office data—paints a damning picture of a system ripe for abuse, leaving migrants emotionally and financially ruined.
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
Bonus:
Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.
How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626
_______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
The book, titled The Law of Torts in Nigeria: A Functional Approach, authored by Professor Hagler Sunny Okorie Ph.D and Ikeocha, Nathaniel Ngozi Esq, offers law students, practitioners, and academics a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying tort law in Nigerian courts. Interested buyers can place orders via the following contact numbers: 08028636615, 08037667945, 08032253813, or +234 902 196 2209.
