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An undercover investigation has exposed recruitment agents scamming foreign nationals applying to work in the UK care sector. The probe revealed fraudulent schemes where agents illegally sell jobs, create fake payroll systems, and exploit desperate applicants.
One of the key figures implicated is Dr Kelvin Alaneme, a Nigerian doctor and founder of CareerEdu, an agency based in Harlow, Essex. Posing as a UK-based recruiter, the press was offered insight into how Alaneme’s operation functions. He promised lucrative commissions for securing vacancies in care homes, which he would then sell to applicants in Nigeria—despite admitting such practices are illegal.
The investigation was triggered by online complaints, including one from Praise, a Nigerian man who paid Alaneme over £10,000 for a UK care job that never materialized. He arrived in the UK expecting to work for Efficiency for Care, a Clacton-on-Sea-based company, only to find that no position existed. Efficiency for Care, which issued over 1,200 Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) between March 2022 and May 2023, had its sponsorship licence revoked in July 2023. However, the company denies collusion with Alaneme and is contesting the revocation in court.
Another UK-based recruiter, Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh, was also caught selling fake CoS documents for care jobs. After the care sector became more regulated, he shifted focus to construction visas, charging £42,000 for three sponsorships. When confronted, Agyemang-Prempeh claimed he had been tricked by other agents. His sponsorship licence has since been revoked.
The UK Home Office has acknowledged the system’s vulnerabilities, stating it is taking “robust action” against visa abuse. Since July 2022, over 470 sponsorship licences in the care sector have been revoked, affecting the recruitment of 39,000 medical and care workers.
As of April 9, new regulations will require care providers in England to prioritize hiring international workers already in the UK before recruiting from abroad.
This scandal highlights the growing exploitation within the UK visa system, exposing how rogue agents continue to profit from the desperation of job seekers.
