Over 1,000 Nigerians are stranded in the UK after receiving fake employment letters, the UN migration agency in Nigeria disclosed.
According to Vanguard newspaper, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Laurent De Boeck, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday where he advised potential migrants to be cautious of a syndicate that specialises in offering fake employment letters to Nigerians seeking to work in the UK.
He said the victims of this syndicate, which was not named, on presenting the employment letters to the organisations in the UK are told the letters did not come from them.
“There are some of them who lost over $10,000 only to be given fake employment letters, which allowed them to get visas. They get there, present the letters, and the organisations tell them that the letters did not emanate from the organisations. Over a thousand people are affected,” Vanguard quoted Mr De Boeck as saying.
Many of these people are unable to return home because they lack the means to come back, while others are ashamed, he added.
The agency also announced that it is working with partners to repatriate thousands of persons, including Nigerians, from Tunisia, which recently placed a ban on migration.
It is also working extensively with Italy to develop regular migration pathways for qualified Nigerians.
Mr De Boeck encouraged Nigerians to seek out proper information before migrating, adding that at least 260,000 Nigerians had approached it in 2023, seeking guidance on how to migrate through regular or approved routes.