A United Kingdom (UK) based Nigerian-born lawyer, Tunde Salami, has said many Nigerians who relocated to the UK and other countries under the guise of Japa are facing high-level depression in their foreign countries.
He said many people are not feeling well over there in the last three years because their expectation was really cut short, as what they were told before leaving the shores of Nigeria was not what they met on the ground upon arrival.
Salami spoke with the journalist as an aside during an education expo organised by his firm, TCL Global, in Ibadan at the weekend.
The expo, which brought together representatives of many foreign schools and prospective admission seekers to seek one-on-one information and clarification about the possibilities of pursuing their educational ambition in the UK, Canada, and Europe.
Some of the foreign institutions at the Expo include: University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, England, University of Greenwich, London, University of Cranfield, Bedford, UK among others.
Speaking, Salami who is the Country Director of TCL Global explained the last three years have brought a lot of challenges to the way people seek travel opportunities especially for educational advancement purposes.
He said, what many pay heavily to secure, in the name of Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) which will enable them secure job as carers have brought different challenges to immigration industry in the UK in that many people who entered through Japa were not adequately informed of what obtains in the country they were going.
He said the CoS is not meant to be sold but given to students who would have gotten some experience working as Carers or Caregivers while they study. He lamented that the CoS is what many people package travelling for people under the Japa scheme sells for Nigerians at an exorbitant rate of between N15 million and N40 million.
He explained that the policy is that people can come in through the student or study route and they can work as Carers or caregivers pending their school programme after which the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) will be issued to them free to enable them to work as a carer or caregiver after their school programme.
The TCL Global boss also added that a lot of people are in depression because they were not prepared for what they met when they got there, especially those who went through care work certificates.
Salami said, “From my practical experience, the last three years have brought different challenges for us, for people who stay and the immigration industry in the UK. The reason is, most people who come during these three years are not well informed. They think that when they get to the UK, all their problems will be solved. Without realising, they get to the UK, and another problem starts.
“Some of them are very pitiful. They sold their properties, they sold their houses, their cars, thinking everything would be fine when they got there, especially people who go with these Certificate of Sponsorship (COS), care routes, care things.
“As a company at that time, we were not involved in selling any CoS and care needs because I told them 85 percent of the care they were selling was false. Because genuine sponsorship licenses in the UK are free, they are not for sale.
“But they want you to come in on a route like this, coming at a student, while you are a student, you are working as a carer. While working in a career, you have developed the skills required. After you study, they will give you a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) for free.
“That Certificate of Sponsorship is to work as a career, that is what people pay N10 million, N20 million, N15 million, 10,000 pounds, 40,000 pounds for. At the end of the day, the people that they pay money to, when they get there, there’s no job for them. So it makes people go into depression.
“There is a lot of high-level depression. People have not been feeling well over there in the last three years because their expectation was cut short, sincerely speaking. So it’s a different thing.
“And to me, the personal thing, I realised that people don’t want to hear the truth. They see people like us as a prophet of doom. When you tell them this is the right way to do it, they say no, they have somebody who can help them.
But unfortunately, when problems come, we still have to develop a lot of ways to support them. A lot of people are in depression because they were not prepared for what they met when they got there. Especially those people who go with those care work certificates, all those things.
“Student route is still student route. You will gain a very extreme certificate. Passing through any education process in the UK is not easy.
“So when you have a certificate in the UK, you will never remain the same in your life. So you acquire a certificate. And from there, if you decide to stay to leave, and things like that, you will still be able to get something. So that is what we have been doing. We have been truthful and honest with our people. And that’s what makes us distinct in the market.
He urged Nigerians to follow simple instructions, saying a genuine CoS is free, as care homes and hospitals issue it free to students who have had experience of care with them.
He urged Nigerians to stop the idea of selling their property, to secure CoS before they travel, noting that such documents they pay to acquire are fake and not genuine.
“Simple instruction, genuine CoS is free. Don’t pay for COS. Even for most hospitals that are recruiting nurses, it is free. They don’t pay for it. So, anything you are paying for, know that it is not genuine. Be prepared for it.
“Sincerely, care work visa is meant for people that are there on a type of visa, maybe as a student. While as a student, you have been working with them, after working, you got the experience you need as a carer, as a support worker. Then this care home and supported living home will give you this thing for free. Because you have developed about 3, 6, 12-month experience with them.
“And over there, experience is the most important. And that is why they are giving you this thing for free. But somebody’s packaging it for you, and you say you should pay N10 million, N20 million. Please, my brothers and sisters, don’t pay for CoS. Again, don’t sell your house to go for it. It is not genuine”, he added.
Speaking on the Expo, he said his firm has since inception been able to help Nigerians secure admission into UK and Canadian Universities, facilitating some form of scholarships for them in the process.
