Overseas students and workers targeted in illicit UK visa trade
摘要
日期: 2023年11月29日
地点: 巴基斯坦
企业
Telegram - Other Value Chain Entity , Meta (formerly Facebook) - Other Value Chain Entity , VFS Global - Other Value Chain Entity受影响的
受影响的总人数: 数字未知
外劳和移民工人: ( 数字未知 - 巴基斯坦 - 未知行业 , Gender not reported )议题
招聘费回应
已邀请回应：是，由Journalist; Resource Centre
载有回应的故事： (查看更多)
回应的外部链接： (查看更多)
后续行动: The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited Telegram and Meta to respond to the article, and to outline how they monitor and remove brokers’ advertisements that charge migrant workers and students high fees for UK visa appointments. Telegram did not respond to the Resource Centre’s request for comment. Meta’s response can be read in full below.
信息来源: News outlet
摘要
日期: 2023年11月29日
地点: 孟加拉国
企业
Meta (formerly Facebook) - Other Value Chain Entity , VFS Global - Other Value Chain Entity , Telegram - Other Value Chain Entity受影响的
受影响的总人数: 数字未知
外劳和移民工人: ( 数字未知 - 孟加拉国 - 未知行业 , Gender not reported )议题
招聘费回应
已邀请回应：是，由Journalist; Resource Centre
载有回应的故事： (查看更多)
回应的外部链接： (查看更多)
后续行动: The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited Telegram and Meta to respond to the article, and to outline how they monitor and remove brokers’ advertisements that charge migrant workers and students high fees for UK visa appointments. Telegram did not respond to the Resource Centre’s request for comment. Meta’s response can be read in full below.
信息来源: News outlet
摘要
日期: 2023年11月29日
地点: 尼珀尔
企业
Telegram - Other Value Chain Entity , VFS Global - Other Value Chain Entity , Meta (formerly Facebook)受影响的
受影响的总人数: 数字未知
外劳和移民工人: ( 数字未知 - 尼珀尔 - 未知行业 , Gender not reported )议题
招聘费回应
已邀请回应：是，由Journalist; Resource Centre
载有回应的故事： (查看更多)
回应的外部链接： (查看更多)
后续行动: The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited Telegram and Meta to respond to the article, and to outline how they monitor and remove brokers’ advertisements that charge migrant workers and students high fees for UK visa appointments. Telegram did not respond to the Resource Centre’s request for comment. Meta’s response can be read in full below.
信息来源: News outlet
摘要
日期: 2023年11月29日
地点: 印度
企业
Telegram - Other Value Chain Entity , Meta (formerly Facebook) - Other Value Chain Entity , VFS Global - Other Value Chain Entity受影响的
受影响的总人数: 数字未知
外劳和移民工人: ( 数字未知 - 印度 - 未知行业 , Gender not reported )议题
招聘费回应
已邀请回应：是，由Journalist; Resource Centre
载有回应的故事： (查看更多)
回应的外部链接： (查看更多)
后续行动: The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited Telegram and Meta to respond to the article, and to outline how they monitor and remove brokers’ advertisements that charge migrant workers and students high fees for UK visa appointments. Telegram did not respond to the Resource Centre’s request for comment. Meta’s response can be read in full below.
信息来源: News outlet
UK visa appointments are being booked up by brokers and sold on for hundreds of pounds in an illicit trade targeting overseas workers and students.
… brokers in some parts of south Asia charging up to £800 for the biometric appointments, which are widely advertised on Facebook and the Telegram messaging service…
The underground market is thriving as agents exploit pressure on some consular services overseas, driven in part by increased visa applications from international students and healthcare workers…
But while direct booking of biometric appointments is typically free or between £30 and £85 for priority services, some people in south Asia are facing difficulties securing slots via VFS Global, the outsourcing company contracted by the Home Office to handle UK visa applications in the region…
“We take all attempts to misuse the visa application appointment system exceptionally seriously. We have not experienced this type or scale of abuse in any other UKVI [UK visas and immigration] locations and have been working closely with the UK Home Office to combat this abuse,” a VFS Global spokesperson said…
One applicant described finding a free appointment on VFS Global’s system as a lottery” and said that they had to check the website at various times during the night…