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The United Nations migration agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM) has again warned Nigerians who have caught the ‘Japa’ bug to be cautious of a syndicate that specializes in offering fake employment letters to persons desperate to work in the United Kingdom (UK).
This was as it pointed out that no fewer than 1000 Nigerians are currently stranded in the UK, having got visas based on the fake employment letters procured for them, only to get to the respective foreign organizations and be denied acceptance because the letters did not emanate from those organizations.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIOM’s Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Mr Laurent De Boeck, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, stated that some of the victims lost as much as $10,000 each in their desperate attempts to secure foreign jobs.
He disclosed that such persons are consequently stranded in the United Kingdom and cannot return to Nigeria because while some lack the means to come back, others are ashamed of coming back to their families and acquaintances who they had made to believe they are gone for good and have settled in.
While urging those seeking to check out of Nigeria to seek out proper information before migrating, 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 also undergoing pre-departure medical health assessments.
“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 organizations tell them that the letters did not emanate from the organizations. Over a thousand people are affected,” De Boeck stated.
The IOM Chief disclosed that the organisation was working with partners to repatriate thousands of persons, including Nigerians, from Tunisia, which has recently placed a ban on migration.
He added that the International Organization for Migration is working extensively with Italy to develop regular pathways for qualified Nigerians and that it would also engage other countries like Spain, Belgium, France, and others.
