UK government publishes list of companies licensed to sponsor the relocation of migrant workers

BRITAIN's government has released a list of licensed companies and organisations that are approved to sponsor the relocation of skilled workers in a move that should help those teaming Nigerian migrant workers looking to emigrate.

Following the Coronavirus pandemic, the UK has stepped up the global search for healthworkers, with countries like Nigeria being a major source. However, this has led to a lot of problems as some unscrupulous companies have exploited the demand to take advantage of innocent migrants looking for w better life in the UK.

Over the last year of so, this has resulted in some of these migrants arriving in the UK only to find themselves destitute. To help stem the growing menace, the UK government has listed the names of companies licensed to sponsor skilled immigrants through the temporary worker immigration route.

This latest list, updated on January 12, now includes 99,856 approved companies, marking an increase of 31,226 companies compared with the 68,630 approved as of January 2023. These companies cut across technology, commerce, education, media and advertisement and engineering sectors, among several others.

A UK government spokesman said: “This document lists worker and temporary worker sponsors. It includes information about the category of workers they’re licensed to sponsor and their sponsorship rating.

“The skilled worker route includes charity workers, skilled workers, creative workers, global business mobility, senior or specialist workers and international sportspersons." The UK has a range of visa programmes for foreigners but started the implementation of a visa ban on dependants on January 1, 2024.