"Migrant carer 'drowning' in debt after £15k visa scam,"

Hamza Mohammed, from Pakistan, was charged illegal fees by a recruitment agent to secure work in Cornwall's care sector.

He is one of several victims and is speaking out to help others seek help.

His employer, Miracle Care Centre in Redruth, had its sponsorship licence removed by the Home Office in December.

The company has been approached by the BBC but has not responded...

A health and care worker visa for up to three years should cost £284 per person.

It is also illegal for UK-based agencies to charge job candidates directly for recruitment fees for their services.

Mr Mohammed, 27, was among about 60 migrant workers who were employed by domiciliary care provider Miracle Care Centre...

Devon and Cornwall Police said they was investigating.

Mr Mohammed said: "I was really thinking about suicide. I was thinking: 'If I go back, who will pay my debts?'"...

He said he paid the money to an agent believing they were legitimate visa fees.

Many care providers use agents from the NHS Ethical Recruiters list to help them find international staff. Mr Mohammed's agent was not on this list.

After the jobs were suddenly terminated in October 2023, the workers were forced to survive on foodbank parcels.

The BBC spoke to 11 former Miracle Care Centre workers, who all claimed to have spent several thousand pounds on fees to different agents...

One text seen by the BBC shows an agent instructing a candidate to pay co-director [of Miracle Care Centre] Petra Omoruyi £2,500. The agent was previously connected to her through another company.

The BBC tried contacting the Miracle Care Centre and Petra Omoruyi on several occasions but received no response...