London (Parliament Politics Magazine) –The surging demand for nurses and healthcare professionals worldwide is attracting many people into this field. However, the recent scam has raised many eyebrows. Around 380 qualified nurses from Kerala feel stranded in the UK. They were lured by unscrupulous recruiters with a high salaried job, only to get scammed.
These duped nurses have shared their tragic stories and struggled in a foreign country without any money, accommodation, or other resources. They don’t have food or money to handle daily expenses which has made their life even worse. The recruitment scam involves a lot of agencies that have their roots in Kerala and the UK both.
Behind the Scenes: The Reality of the Plight of Nurses
As the shocking recruitment scam comes to light, nurses have revealed their stories to the media. According to them, they arrived in the UK with sponsored certificates and work visas. However, the recruiters failed to provide any proper work to them. Each of the stranded nurses and other health professionals paid around 15 lakhs.
Even though they didn’t have money, they relied on taking loans from the bank. It seems that they are now knocking on all doors for justice without getting any fruitful results. The huge debt and stress of living in a foreign country is taking a toll on their mental health.
I am seeing an increase in visa scams, using my name.
Be suspicious:
👉 If it sounds too good to be true – such as an easy job in the UK, or a way to get a UK visa quickly and easily.👉 If you are guaranteed a visa to the UK using documents the scammer provides.
— Alex Ellis (@AlexWEllis) December 7, 2022
Most of these health professionals are not getting appointed while others get delayed wages or less than the promised wage. Some higher authorities are taking action and will help nurses in their fight for justice, while others don’t take action. As most of these nurses belong to India the issues are coming to light by the Kerala Government and central authorities. However, not many seemed to be bothered by it. They want to pass the buck on to the UK without getting blamed.
Setting the Record Straight: Recruitment Agency Denies Accusations
As the nurses are sharing their heartfelt stories, Linto Thomas, the managing director of Affiniks, is not ready to respond to any allegations. The agency in the UK is rejecting all the allegations of betrayal. They even believe that the number of stranded nurses is inflated to no end. According to the statement given by the recruitment agencies, only 10 nurses have come up with certain issues. However, they have received an assurance from CareTech that everything will sort out within a month or so.
Maya John who is working with the United Nurses of India has blamed the Indian Government. She believes that the Government doesn’t give them a chance to get a good job. These nurses will not have to move to foreign countries or get scammed by fake recruitment agencies.
As the nurses are coming out of the education system through the BSc in Nursing, they complete a 3 to 4-year course. There is a shortage of Government colleges in India that focus on healthcare education. People should be careful enough to save themselves from fake advertisements about lucrative jobs. This is the only way to get rid of such problems as authorities won’t step in to save such people.
Read More: Asics Shakes up UK Sporting Industry With Supply Halt
The Devastating Consequences of Incompetent Governance
As the nurses from Kerala face scams by fake recruitment agencies in the UK, they blame the Indian Government too. They have to migrate to the UK for better jobs and high pay which is not easy to achieve in their country. As the growing health needs increase the UK is recruiting a large number of health professionals.
There is a shortage of medical colleges in Kerala and people have an option to either crack the Government exam or get a job. These nurses now feel stranded in the UK after borrowing money to migrate to a new nation.
They feel cheated as the India Government fails to help them at any stage. The Union Government is responsible for creating these crises without putting in any regulations. On the other side, the Indian Government claims that they have not received any complaints yet.
They may approach the foreign affairs department to take quick and necessary help. Affiniks and Cambian are the recruiting agencies that have hired these nurses. However, it doesn’t seem any action is taken against them as yet. While this situation keeps getting worse, will the nurses ever get justice is yet to be seen?