Undercover Investigation Exposes Immigration Scams Targeting Foreign Workers in UK

Mon Oct 20 2025 09:51:29 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A BBC investigation reveals how rogue recruitment agents defraud foreign nationals applying for care jobs in the UK, including a Nigerian doctor selling nonexistent positions.

Secret filming by the BBC uncovers the fraudulent tactics of immigration scammers in the UK care sector, including illegal job sales and fake job assignments, as pressure mounts on the Home Office to address the growing crisis.

In a shocking new investigation, BBC undercover footage has uncovered the deceitful practices of immigration scammers who target foreign nationals seeking employment in the UK's care sector. One of the culprits is identified as Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, a Nigerian psychiatrist with experience in the NHS, who now runs an agency dubbed CareerEdu.

The inquiry sheds light on how these unscrupulous agents exploit the visa application process, specifically focusing on the "Certificate of Sponsorship" (CoS) required for foreign workers. Despite the Home Office acknowledging the system's susceptibility to exploitation, the BBC's investigation offers a firsthand glimpse into the brazen antics of these scammers.

The shocking discovery revealed agents indulging in a combination of illegal activities, such as selling fictitious job offers in the UK and devising elaborate payroll schemes, allowing fake jobs to evade detection. The BBC's analysis shows a significant increase in reports of immigration fraud since the expansion of a government visa scheme designed to attract medical staff, which now opens doors for care workers as well.

Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO of the Work Rights Centre, pointed out the pressing issues surrounding the sponsorship system, stating that it creates a dangerous power imbalance, thus facilitating the proliferation of middlemen earning illicit profits. The investigation led two undercover journalists to meet with Dr. Alaneme, who tempted them to become agents for his agency promising immense financial rewards.

During the clandestine exchange, Dr. Alaneme offered lucrative commissions for every care home job vacancy they could create, insisting he would sell these fictitious positions to desperate Nigerian candidates. In one devastating account, a man named Praise revealed he paid Dr. Alaneme over £10,000, believing he was bound for a care job only to arrive and discover the position was nonexistent.

Adding to the complexity, the BBC found that the care company involved in Praise's case, Efficiency for Care, had issued over 1,200 CoS despite employing an average of only 16 individuals. After facing revocation of its sponsorship license, the agency continues to operate and has denied collusion with Dr. Alaneme.

Furthermore, the investigation showcases another notorious agent, Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh, who shifted focus to construction, tapping into another sector desperate for foreign workers. In conversations with an undercover journalist posing as a Ugandan businessman, Agyemang-Prempeh touted fraudulent CoS at steep prices, raising concerns amidst tightening regulations in the care sector.

Official data reveals a stark increase in the revocation of licenses, spotlighting a significant number of sham employers within the UK's care industry. As the Home Office promises rigorous actions against such malpractices, calls for systemic reform within the sponsorship regime gain momentum, exemplifying the urgent need for change in the treatment of vulnerable foreign workers in the UK.