FOR close to two years, Maud Kwembeya (33) — of Zimunya in Mutare — has been harbouring thoughts of one day migrating to the United Kingdom (UK) in search of greener pastures.
A vastly experienced nurse aide, Kwembeya desperately
wanted to work as a caregiver in Europe.
In those two years, she tried but dismally failed to make
the dream move.
One day, the single mother of two received a message she
thought would make her dream come true.
“The message came through a WhatsApp group. The sender
indicated that he was an agent who could help me get a visa to work in the UK,”
narrated Kwembeya.
Travelling all the way from Mutare, she met the supposed
agent at an office in downtown Harare. After signing an affidavit and paying
US$7 000, the agent told her to come back after two weeks so that she would
collect her Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
When Kwembeya returned to Harare after the said two weeks,
she was shocked when she discovered that the agent’s offices had been vacated
and his mobile phone number was no longer in use.
She immediately realised she had been duped.
The ordeal left her traumatised.
“I borrowed part of the money from friends and relatives.
My father sold five of his cattle and gave me the money. Now, I am in hot soup.
The people who gave me money now want their dues,” a visibly disturbed Kwembeya
said.
There has been a notable increase in the number of people
who are being arrested and appearing in the courts on charges of defrauding
unsuspecting victims in CoS scams.
A CoS is an electronic record issued by foreign employers
to prove that one has secured a job.
It is often required by migrant workers who are applying
for skilled or temporary worker visas in the UK or other European countries.
Investigations conducted by this paper revealed that the
majority of people being duped are caregivers, who are recruited to look after
the elderly and disabled people in the UK.
Recent reports indicate that Zimbabwe is among the top five
countries that registered the highest number of citizens who were granted UK
work visas in the past two years.
Fraudsters and greedy employers are taking advantage of
desperate people who are eager to go overseas by fleecing them of their
hard-earned cash.
The number of people arrested and appearing in courts on
fraud charges involving certificates of sponsorship has been on the rise in
recent years.
Danie Nyamunda, the director of Majestic Caregivers,
recently appeared in court on charges of defrauding three people of US$12 560.
According to court papers, Nyamunda had promised her
victims she would facilitate their certificates of sponsorship for them to
travel and work in the UK health system.
After receiving various amounts, she failed to deliver and
was subsequently arrested.
In a similar case, Chido Mukahadzi, of Harare, also
recently appeared before a Harare magistrate on charges of defrauding desperate
people seeking certificates of sponsorship to relocate to Europe.
It is alleged sometime in January this year, the
complainant was processing documents to go to the UK and Mukahadzi offered to
assist her for a fee.
Mukahadzi then told the complainant that she had obtained
the CoS, which is part of the initial stage in obtaining a visa.
The complainant deposited US$1 800 into the accused’s
account and was told she would receive the record after a week, which never
happened, leading to her arrest.
The fraudsters lure their victims mainly through social
media platforms.
In carefully crafted advertisements, the fraudsters claim
they can easily facilitate the acquisition of a CoS for those intending to work
in the UK.
After making payments, the victims are made to sign fake
affidavits.
They are then issued with fake receipts and a fake CoS with
non-existent addresses. After some time, the fraudsters start giving excuses,
desert their offices or switch off their phones.
Others become hostile.
Some dubious employers also issue a fake CoS proof of
payment.
Alice Muridzi, of Mabvuku in Harare, plans to migrate but
fears she may be scammed.
“I wish to relocate to the UK but I fear I might engage
dubious agents. It is difficult to tell whether one is genuine or fake,”
Muridzi said.
Nelson Mukwindidza, of Budiriro in Harare, weighed in.
“The biggest challenge lies in differentiating fake agents
from genuine ones. The majority of them are dubious and I do not know which one
to approach.”
Nhamo Tarugarira, a UK-based legal expert, took time to
explain the process.
“A certificate of sponsorship is a reference number that is
given to a sponsored work visa applicant by their proposed sponsor. Contrary to
what many people think, it is an electronic record and not a physical
document,” Tarugarira said.
He said a CoS is a mandatory prerequisite for visa
applications in the skilled and temporary worker categories.
According to Tarugarira, some employers in the UK are
defrauding those seeking work in Europe by charging huge sums for locals to
acquire the record.
The CoS can cost as much as £6 000. The lucky ones pay an
average of £1 300 or £3 200 for a small sponsor or a large sponsor,
respectively.
Information gleaned from the website GOV.UK — which
outlines UK government services, among other things — clearly shows that some
employers are making a killing out of desperate jobseekers.
According to the website, the amount paid by employers for
the cost of certificates ranges from as little as £25 up to £239.
The employers might, however, pay a little more when they
will be applying for a CoS for a jobseeker who will be seeking the skilled
worker, senior or specialist worker visa.
This is called the “immigration skills charge”.
But, according to the UK government website, employers are
not required to pay immigration skills charges for sponsorship occupations such
as chemical/biological scientists, physical scientists, social/humanities
scientists, and research and development managers.
Sponsors are also not required to pay if they are
sponsoring a worker who was assigned a certificate before April 6, 2017.
Again, they will not need to pay the fee for any of the
worker’s dependents such as wife, husband and children.
Despite being exempted from paying skilled charges, some of
the jobseekers have been hoodwinked into forking out as much as US$8 000.
After being swindled out of their money through the illegal
fees, some jobseekers are forced to work under exploitative conditions for very
low wages.
Tarugarira warned companies in the health and social care
sector which are recruiting from Zimbabwe and charging illegal fees that they
are risking having their licences revoked.
“It is only a matter of time before the fraudsters are
unmasked and banned,” Tarugarira said.
Rodwell Chiriseri, who runs a nurse aide training college
in Harare, urged potential jobseekers to be cautious.
“There are a lot of bad apples within this sector and
desperate jobseekers can be easily conned. I urge those who intend to go and
work overseas to be patient and deal with reputable companies,” he said.
Andrew Nyamayaro, another UK-based attorney, argues CoS
charges should be paid by the employer and not jobseekers.
He notes the total costs of getting a CoS is well under £2
000. He says those who have paid more can seek legal recourse.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi urged the public to be cautious.
“People must be careful whenever they are dealing with the
so-called employment agencies. They should first check and verify their
legality and, if possible, engage relevant Government departments,” Asst Comm
Nyathi said.
Scams involving issuance of fake certificates of
sponsorship are not only confined to Zimbabwe.
Media reports show that the illegal practice is prevalent
in many other countries, among them Nigeria, Ghana, India and Philippines.
Monsurat Temidayo Awodein, a Nigerian student studying in
Scotland, was recently arrested after duping more than 40 Nigerians in a
certificate of sponsorship scandal.
Reports say Awodein, who was working in cahoots with an
unregistered firm, allegedly defrauded his fellow kinsmen by providing them
with counterfeit certificates of sponsorship.
The documents were purportedly issued in the names of
reputable UK-based care providers.
Apart from being defrauded, those willing to travel to the
UK are also reportedly entering into fake marriages to expedite the processing
of spousal visas to enable them to travel.
Once they enter the UK, the “couple” will then conveniently
“divorce”. Sunday Mail
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