Tunde Salami, a Nigerian-born lawyer based in the UK, said many Nigerians who immigrated to the UK and other countries under the guise of Japan face high levels of depression abroad.
He said many people had been feeling sick there for the past three years because of the difference between what they were told before leaving Nigeria’s shores and what they encountered there on arrival.
Salami spoke to journalists as an aside during an education expo organized by his company TCL Global in Ibadan over the weekend.
The expo attracted representatives from many foreign schools and prospective students seeking one-on-one information and clarification on the possibilities of pursuing their educational ambitions in the UK, Canada and Europe.
Foreign institutions participating in the Expo include the University of Portsmouth (Portsmouth, UK), the University of Central Lancashire (Preston, UK), the University of Greenwich (London) and Cranfield University (Bedford, UK).
Salami, Country Director of TCL Global, explained that the past three years have brought many challenges to the way people seek travel opportunities, especially for educational advancement.
He said the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) that many people pay to secure jobs as carers poses challenges for the UK immigration industry in that many people arriving via Japan are not fully informed of what is available in the country they are traveling to.
He said the CoS was not intended to be sold, but given to students who would have gained experience working as carers or caregivers while in school. He lamented that CoS is a package holiday sold by many to Nigerians under the Japa scheme at exorbitant rates ranging from N15 million to N40 million.
He explained that the policy is that people can enroll through the student or study route, work as a carer or carer until they finish their school program, and then be issued a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) free of charge to enable them to work as a carer or carer after finishing their school program.
The TCL Global boss also added that many people, especially those who obtained their care worker certificates, were depressed because they were not prepared for what they encountered when they arrived.
Mr Salami said: “From my practical experience, the last three years have brought challenges for us, for people staying in the UK, and for the immigration industry. The reason is that most of the people who come in these three years are not well-informed. They think that if they go to the UK, all their problems will be solved. When they arrive in the UK without realizing it, another problem begins.”
“Some of them are very pathetic. They sold their property, they sold their house, they sold their car, they thought that once they got there everything would be fine. Especially the ones who go with certificates of sponsorship (COS), care routes and care supplies.”
“At the time, as a company, we weren’t involved in selling CoS or care needs because we told them 85 per cent of the care they were selling was false. Genuine sponsorship licenses in the UK are free, so they’re not being sold.”
“But they want you to come as a student through this route. While you are a student, you work as a carer. While developing your career, you have developed the necessary skills. After studying, they give you a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) for free.”
“That sponsorship certificate is to work as a career. People pay 10 million naira, 20 million naira, 15 million naira, 10,000, 40,000 pounds for that. At the end of the day, the people who paid the money, when they get there, they don’t have a job. So that’s what drives people into depression.”
“There’s a lot of high-level depression. Honestly, people over there haven’t been feeling great for the last three years because their expectations have been canceled. So that’s a different thing.
“And for me, personally, I find that people don’t want to hear the truth. They look at people like us like prophets of doom. When we say this is the right way, they say no, there are people who can help.
But unfortunately, when a problem arises, we have to develop many ways to support it. Many people become depressed because they were unprepared for what they encountered when they arrived. Especially those who work with a nursing care work certificate.
“The student route is still the student route. You can get very advanced certificates. It’s not easy to get through the British education process.”
“So once you get a certificate in the UK, you’re never going to stay the same forever. That’s why you get a certificate. And from there, even if you decide to stay to leave the UK, you’ll get something out of it. So that’s what we’ve done. We’ve been honest and honest with our people and that’s what differentiates us in the market.”
He urged Nigerians to follow simple instructions, saying genuine CoSs are free as care homes and hospitals issue them free of charge to students with care experience.
He urged Nigerians to desist from the idea of selling their properties and secure CoS before traveling, pointing out that the documents they are paying to obtain are fake and not genuine.
“Quick explanation: Real CoS is free. Don’t pay for COS. Even in most hospitals that recruit nurses, it’s free. They don’t pay for it. So whatever you’re paying for, know it’s not real. Be prepared for that.”
“Honestly, the care work visa is aimed at people who are there on some type of visa, perhaps as students. After working with them as a student and working, you’ve gained the experience you need as a carer, as a support worker. And this care home and supported living home gives you this for free, because you’ve got about three, six, 12 months of experience with them.”
“There, experience is most important. And that is why they give you this for free. But somebody is packing it for you and they say you should pay 10 million naira, 20 million naira. Please, my brothers and sisters, don’t pay for CoS. Again, don’t sell your house to buy it. It’s not real,” he added.
Speaking at the expo, he said that since its inception, his company has been helping Nigerians gain admission to universities in the UK and Canada, providing them with some form of scholarships in the process.
