“Over 1,000 Nigerians Stranded in UK”: IOM Warns Against ‘Japa’ With Fake Employment
- Nigerians seeking greener pastures in foreign lands have been encouraged to migrate with proper documentation, well thorough plan and authentic employment
- This followed the revelation by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) that over 1,000 Nigerians were stranded and seeking assistance desperately in the UK
- The victims of the job scam were said to be grappling with the financial burden of their failed attempts, and some are hesitant to return home due to shame and a lack of means
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
FCT, Abuja - The United Nations Migration Agency, International Organisation for Migration, (IOM), has advised Nigerians migrating to the United Kingdom, to be cautious of syndicates that specialise in offering fake employment letters.
Source: Getty Images
IOM disclosed that over 1,000 Nigerians were stranded in the UK after falling prey to a scam involving fake employment letters procured for obtaining visas and working permits in the UK.
Laurent De Boeck, chief of mission at IOM, made this disclosure at a news conference in Abuja on Monday, December 18.
He said:
"Only to get to the respective organisations in the UK and then denied acceptance because the letters did not emanate from those organisations."
Nigerians to be repatriated from Tunisia
He revealed further that victims suffered significant financial losses, some reaching up to $10,000, in their pursuit of overseas employment, Vanguard reported.
Urging them to seek out proper information before embarking on any migration, the IOM disclosed that over 260,000 Nigerians had approached it in 2023, seeking guidance on how to migrate through regular or approved routes and as well as undergoing Pre-Departure Medical Health Assessments.
De Boeck added that IOM was working with partners to repatriate thousands of persons, including Nigerians, from Tunisia, which had recently placed a ban on migration.
FG warns Nigerians against migrating to Canada
Earlier, President Tinubu's government sent an important message to Nigerians, especially youths seeking greener pastures in foreign lands.
The chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, warned Nigerians against travelling abroad without proper documentation.
Dabiri-Erewa spoke on Thursday, November 23, when she visited some stranded Nigerians who violated Canada's immigration laws.
Nigerian banker laments hardship in the country
Also, Legit.ng reported earlier that Alade, a 28-year-old marketing staff at a popular Nigerian bank, lamented the situation of things in the country.
He said he lives alone in a rented apartment in Ondo state, Nigeria's southwestern region. He earns N250,000 a month, which used to be enough to cover his basic needs but not anymore, he told Legit.ng.
“The inflation has really hit my power to purchase basic things and I have had to either resort to lower quality materials or buy miniature quantity of same products to keep up."
UK's ban on dependant visa causes Nigerians to turn to Canada
Meanwhile, a report by the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), Annual Membership Survey, has revealed that foreign students have turned to Canadian and Australian universities.
The report said these two countries are presently migrant-friendly destinations.
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Source: Legit.ng
