During the post-pandemic situation, although there was a high demand for nurses and other healthcare professionals worldwide, presently there are 380 qualified nurses from Kerala finding themselves stranded in the UK after being lured there by unscrupulous recruiters with the promise of well-paying jobs.
Unfortunate tales of a deceived nurse explaining the struggle of surviving in a foreign country without proper accommodation, finance and even meeting daily expenses on food with their families back in Kerala. The main reason is contributed to recruitment scam, involving questionable agencies with bad credentials in the UK and the States.
The nurses informed that they had work visas and sponsorship certificates, when they landed in UK. When it came to providing them with the promised placements, the recruiters remained noncommittal.
Each stranded professional by taking bank loans at huge interest rates, paid at least ₹15 lakh to the agent, and they are now knocking on all possible doors for justice.
Though their families repeatedly went to the Union government and the Kerala Health Department, no government-level intervention has taken place.
Stranded healthcare professionals say that it’s affecting their mental health due to the huge debt and stress of living in an expensive foreign country.
Gracy worked for five years in Bengaluru hospital, having a degree from a private institution in Karnataka, opted for the UK job offer, hoping it would help her gain financial stability.
She landed in UK with her family in April this year, and now find themselves lost, with the recruiters remaining noncommittal on addressing their grievances.
Through Kochi-based recruitment agency, Gracy reached UK with work visa and job offer but Affiniks International Cambian refused to absorb her and offer placement as promised.
To the Kochi office of the recruiter, the families of the nurses are flocking and pleading to change the employer and facilitate an easy resolution to the grievances.
One alleged that candidates were forced to attend unnecessary training programmes by the UK firms, so that this will delay them from finding out about the appointments.
According to Anoop Sasidharan, affiliated with the UK Pravasi HelpDesk, which addresses grievances of Keralites in the UK. Last August the helpline started receiving distress calls from the trapped nurses. Temporary accommodation was allocated by the assistance of the helpline.
Only after implementing strong pressure, a nurse who reached UK in February got a placement in April
Certain nurses were assigned the task of cleaning toilets, though they had seven years of experience as a nurse.
Local authorities are called in to assist and to reach a resolution in behalf of the stranded nurses.
