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Nigerians recruited as prison officers in UK homeless, report says

SOME Nigerians recruited to work as prison officers in the United Kingdom have resorted to sleeping in cars and setting up makeshift camps due to the absence of accommodation arrangements, according to a report by The Telegraph.

The UK prison service, grappling with staff shortages, reportedly started sponsoring skilled worker visas after an October 2023 change in visa regulations included prison officers to the list of eligible skilled workers.

However, the report noted that the recruits arrived and expected accommodation to be part of the job package, only to discover that no such provision existed.  

The president of the Prison Officers Association (POA), Mark Fairhurst, described the situation as dire, recounting incidents where recruits arrived at prisons with their families and luggage, assuming housing would be provided. 

In one case, Fairhurst stated a Nigerian officer who could not afford a 70-mile daily commute resorted to sleeping in his car outside the prison, adding that at another location, recruits set up a camp in a wooded area opposite the prison.  

Sources from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) told The Telegraph that approximately 250 foreign nationals had been sponsored to join the Prison Service after completing Zoom interviews and vetting processes.

Prison governors noted that foreign applicants, including many Nigerians, constituted up to two-thirds of the 3,500 monthly applications during one period last year, with the president of the Prison Governors’ Association, Tom Wheatley, stating that the demand appeared to have been fuelled online by the ‘expat Nigerian community.’

He noted that concerns had been raised over language barriers, integration challenges in rural areas, and inadequate preparation for the demands of the role. 

Fairhurst also called for a return to in-person interviews, arguing that the current Zoom-based hiring process is insufficient.  



He stated that frontline prison officers were often hired without undergoing any face-to-face interviews, and recruits received just six weeks of training, which he argued was insufficient for learning how to manage prisoners effectively.

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Telegraph further reported that a record 165 prison staff were sacked for misconduct in 2024, which according to the HM Prison and Probation Service is an increase of 34 per cent compared to the previous year.




     

     

    The ICIR reports that in recent years, a growing number of Nigerians have migrated to the United Kingdom in search of better opportunities, a trend popularly known as ‘japa,’ which translates to ‘escape’ or ‘flee’ in the Yoruba Language. 

    This movement has been driven by economic hardships, high unemployment rates, and insecurity.

    While many make the journey with the hope of becoming successful, a significant portion end up taking menial jobs that fall below their qualifications to survive and support families back home. 

    These roles often include caregiving, cleaning, or other low-paying jobs in sectors with staffing shortages.

    Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M

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