Visa scams exploit UK-bound Indian nurses

• Rathod’s case offers hope for others who have been deceived. Although his legal battle continues, the tribunal’s initial ruling signals that there may be more favorable outcomes for those in similar situations

• The Home Office has pledged to investigate and prosecute illegal employment practices, but significant reforms are needed to prevent further exploitation

PRAVASISAMWAD.COM

Visa scams targeting Indian nurses and other migrant healthcare workers have become a growing issue in the UK, with many being lured by the promise of employment only to face exploitation and uncertainty, reported asia.nikkei.com.

Kirankumar Rathod, an Indian healthcare worker, moved to the UK in May 2023, expecting to start his new job. However, after paying an immigration agent £22,000, he was left jobless when his sponsor, Clinica Private Healthcare, failed to provide him work and eventually fired him.

Rathod took the case to a labor tribunal, where a judge ruled on September 9 that Clinica must compensate him the promised salary until the matter is fully resolved.

This case highlights a larger issue: many migrant healthcare workers arriving in the UK through the special visa route—introduced in February 2022 to address labor shortages—have fallen victim to visa scams. Unscrupulous employers provide sponsorship certificates for nonexistent jobs, leaving these workers vulnerable.

• A report from the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) in March 2024 exposed severe regulatory shortcomings

• It revealed that the Home Office had failed to properly assess demand, resulting in the influx of low-skilled workers susceptible to exploitation

• The report also pointed out that one compliance officer oversees 1,600 sponsors, allowing fraudulent practices to go unchecked

According to an analysis of Home Office data, nearly 90,000 care worker visas were approved in 2023, with 41% of applicants from South Asia, and 21% specifically from India. However, the actual number of workers affected by these scams remains unknown.

Sarmila Bose, head of employment at Work Rights Centre, described Rathod’s victory as a critical step for many migrant carers in the UK. Meanwhile, Sairah Javed from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) criticized the immigration system’s lack of oversight, which traps workers in exploitative situations with little recourse.

***********************************************************

Readers

These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.

Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world.  We have taken a small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.

For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com