Visa fraud on the rise in Kerala, police urge caution

 

 

The police have warned the public to be vigilant in the wake of a sharp increase in visa fraud complaints in Kerala. The Ernakulam Rural District Police said that they are receiving many complaints of people losing money by promising jobs abroad. Officials say that it is not one or two isolated cases but many complaints are coming in every day. Fraudsters are swindling lakhs of rupees by promising jobs in countries like Europe, Canada, the UK and New Zealand.

The warning came shortly after the BBC published a report detailing the difficulties faced by Keralites who migrated to the United Kingdom under the Care Worker Visa scheme. The main reason why fraudsters mainly target people from Kerala is the desire of Malayalis to find better jobs abroad. Many choose to migrate with the aim of financial security. According to Ketan Mukhija, senior partner at Burgeon Law, the frauds are mostly committed by promising high-paying jobs in countries like the UK, Canada and New Zealand.

Labour Party member and Cambridge Mayor Baiju Thittala said that between 1,000 and 2,000 Keralites are still in the UK who have been victims of visa fraud or exploitation. He added that hundreds of others are still in Kerala, unable to leave because they have lost their money. BBC reporters have found around 30 people in Kothamangalam, Ernakulam district, who have lost millions of rupees while trying to obtain UK care visas. This also shows the extent of the fraud.