Nigerians in the UK protest against CoS scam that has involved many of them being exploited

NIGERIANS living in the UK have protested against rising cases of certificate of sponsorship (CoS) scams taking place across the country that have made it difficult for those looking for work to emigrate.

Following the Covid-19 crisis, there was a growing rise in the demand for socialcare and healthcare workers across the UK and many Nigerians applied for these positions. Unfortunately, numerous unscrupulous elements have cashed in on the matter and used it as an opportunity to exploit innocent Nigerian workers seeking a better life abroad.

Many of these healthcare workers have arrived in the UK only to find that the jobs they were promised did not exist. Many others found that they were subjected to unbelievably exploitative working conditions and as a result had to leave these jobs.                         

Last week, a group of Nigerians assembled on Marsham Street in London to participate in a protest, which was broadcast live on TikTok. In the video, which was recorded in front of the Home Office, a woman named as Christiana Olabisi, also known as Ferrari, called on victims of the scams to join in the demonstration.

Ms Olabisi said: “No more scamming. Enough is enough. Whether you like it or not, all of you are going to get reported. We are here waiting for you, for those of you still wanting to join the protest, we are waiting for you.

"Don’t let anybody scare you. This is a country where you can speak up. Don’t let anyone scare you with deportation. If anyone has collected money from you, this is the time to speak up. Tomorrow may be too late.

“We have a lot of people making others cry in this country. A group of people collecting huge sums of money from the newcomers. We are here to inform the Home Office about what is going on in this country. They don’t even know the huge sums being collected. We are going to expose you.”

CoS  is a visa scheme designed for licensed organisations by the UK government to enable them to hire overseas workers, who they bring into a European country. Overseas workers can only make valid visa applications from their countries if they have the backing of such licensed companies, who are also called sponsors.

Many desperate foreign workers looking for such visas have, however, fallen victim to fraudulent agents and companies who demand huge sums of money in return for the favour. Some immigrants have left Nigeria with assurances from their agents that they would get skilled jobs in the UK but many get stranded with no jobs as they depend on food banks for survival after losing millions of naira spent on relocation.

One protester said: “My friend, along with his wife and two children, paid a whopping £15,000 to a guy in the UK for a Certificate of Sponsorship. I warned them not to but they didn’t listen. When they got to Manchester, I learned they paid even more money to another person for the same CoS but nothing came out of it.”

A woman, who identified herself as Joy Ehizojie, added: “I have been here for two years, yet no shifts from my employer after paying £10,000. I have only been managing 20-hour shifts from another employer.”

Another victim said, “I paid £12,000, and now the company has stopped taking my calls.” A content creator, Musa Eunice, also shared her experience, revealing how her cousin was allegedly scammed of £20,000.