‘Nigerian Workers Sleep in Cars, Forest After Taking UK Prison Jobs’

Many Nigerian workers, along with other foreign nationals, are reportedly sleeping in their cars and makeshift shelters in forests after facing accommodation issues following their recruitment into the United Kingdom’s prison service.

According to a report by The Telegraph, the UK prison service introduced a recruitment initiative targeting Nigerians and other African nationals through skilled worker visas to address a growing personnel shortage in prisons.

Some of the recruits, who were skilled workers from Nigeria, as well as those switching from other visa categories, were caught off guard when they arrived in the UK. They were not provided with housing, and many ended up using their cars as temporary shelter on their first day of work.

Mark Fairhurst, president of the Prison Officers Association, confirmed that some recruits expected housing to be included with the job, only to find out otherwise.

Fairhurst shared a troubling case: “One foreign recruit drove 70 miles from Huddersfield to Nottingham for work, but found it was cheaper to sleep in his car outside the prison than to find accommodation.” He also mentioned another worker who set up a camp in a wooded area opposite the prison after realizing there was no housing provided.

“We are facing issues with new recruits arriving with their families, asking where their accommodation is,” Fairhurst added.

The recruitment of Nigerian and other foreign nationals followed a change in the UK visa rules in October 2023, which added prison officers to the list of skilled workers eligible for visa sponsorship.

Sources from the UK Ministry of Justice indicated that up to 250 foreign nationals have been sponsored to join the prison service, following Zoom interviews and vetting procedures. The number of African applicants, particularly from Nigeria, surged, with many switching from other visa routes.

Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors Association, noted that the increase in applicants seemed to have been driven by word of mouth, particularly through the expat Nigerian community, who shared the opportunity online.

Despite the opportunities the jobs offer, the issue of accommodation remains a significant concern for many of the foreign recruits.