immigration system”, particularly when it came to visas in the social care sector. The report said that fraud in the visa system for care


workers – about 125,000 of whom arrived between 2021-23, each bringing an average of one dependant with them – was not only widespread, but also linked to child trafficking. MAC cited the case of a company that supposedly


ran care homes and sponsored visas for 498 workers even though it had not provided any services for months. The report also pointed to visa applicants who had paid thousands of pounds for forged documents and one who was charged £21,000 by their sponsoring company for a visa.


A GLOBAL RESPONSE The Interpol operation, Storm Makers II, which got underway last year, specifically targets human trafficking- fuelled fraud and “has revealed further evidence that the crime trend is expanding beyond Southeast Asia”. In a statement, Interpol headquarters in Lyon said


many of the 450 migrant smuggling hotspots raided last autumn were regularly used to traffic victims to “notorious” cyber scam centres. “Victims are often lured through fake job ads and forced to commit online fraud on an industrial scale, while enduring abject physical abuse.” More than 280 individuals were arrested for offences


such as human trafficking, passport forgery, corruption, telecommunications fraud and sexual exploitation. Another 239 migrant smugglers were arrested in Turkey alone. “The human cost of cyber scam centres continues to


rise,” commented Rosemary Nalubega, assistant director for vulnerable communities at Interpol. “Only concerted global action can truly address the globalisation of this crime trend. While the majority of cases remain concentrated in Southeast Asia, Operation Storm Makers II offers further evidence that this modus operandi is spreading, with victims sourced from other continents and new scam centres appearing as far afield as Latin America.” Counties participating in the Interpol operation are


Angola, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. The growing concern over migrant scams led to the


London-based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) issuing guidance in the spring on how firms’ HR staff could recognise and tackle human trafficking within their organisations. But, as the experience in Canada has shown, students


are often the target of scams. Last year, the US issued a record 140,000 student visas to Indians, “but a black market has emerged in recent years due to high demand for appointments,” according to PIE (Professionals in International Education) News. The PIE website reported in March on a growing trend of ‘scalpers’ monitoring appointment slots and booking them on behalf of students or selling them on for a fee, making it difficult for


33


non-paying students to secure appointments. Consequently, the US embassy in India has now


announced anyone applying for a student visa must use his or her passport information when scheduling their consulate appointment, in a bid to “prevent fraud and abuse of the appointment system”. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration


Services (USCIS), scams targeting students are among the most common swindles, sometimes involving fake colleges promising them an education in America for a fee. Other scams identified by USCIS involve bogus government officials using social media accounts; fee- charging agencies claiming to be able to assist in obtaining visas; fake companies offering job offers to hopeful immigrants; social media sites and emails posing to be from government agencies; and people pretending to be attorneys providing legal services for immigrants. Natalie McQuilkin, legal writer at Virginia law firm,


Eagan Immigration, said obtaining a US visa was no easy feat. “It’s a complicated journey dotted with many obstacles, like costly immigration services, long processing times and preparations for nerve-wracking interviews. Throughout this complex process lies a hope that there would be an easier way to live a safe, comfortable life in the US – and scammers have turned this hope into a money-making scheme.” The matchmakers conning German immigrants a


century ago knew as much. And the tech-wise scammers of today know it even better.


GLOBAL LEADERSHIP


IMMIGRATION


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