NewStats: 3,264,279 , 8,183,189 topics. Date: Tuesday, 10 June 2025 at 12:24 PM 1r5u5w

Nigerians flock UK as prison officers, ‘sleep in their cars’ to cut accommodation cost

Many Nigerians are reportedly being hired as prison officers in the United Kingdom, UK as the British government seeks to address staffing shortages in overcrowded prisons.

According to The Telegraph, the UK prison service is now sponsoring skilled worker visas for the first time, as a result of a rule change that allows them to recruit from abroad.

Prison governors disclosed that many of the new recruits come from Nigeria, with some skilled workers switching to the role from other visa routes.

However, many of these workers soon arrive in the UK only to encounter accommodation challenges, upon realizing that their job offers did not include any provision for housing.

Reports reveal that some have resorted to camping or even sleeping in their cars as a cost-saving measure.

Mark Fairhurst, president of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), shared an example of one foreign recruit who commuted 70 miles daily from Huddersfield to Nottingham but later decided to sleep in his car outside the prison to save costs.

At another prison, recruits camped in a wooded area near their workplace after discovering no housing was provided.

“We have got problems with people who turn up at the gates with cases in tow and with their families saying to the staff: ‘Where is the accommodation?’” said Mr. Fairhurst.

The recruitment drive follows changes in visa rules in October 2023, which added prison officers to the list of skilled workers eligible for sponsorship.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) sources estimate that about 250 foreign nationals have been sponsored to the prison service so far, completing Zoom interviews and vetting processes.

Prison governors report a high interest in these roles, with many applicants coming from Africa.

In one month last year, two-thirds of 3,500 applicants were from the continent.

Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors Association (PGA), believes online word-of-mouth among the Nigerian expat community has fueled the demand.

This influx has created challenges in some prisons, particularly in remote rural areas, where integration into local communities and communication issues have surfaced.

“It’s turned into an approach that has been promoted online by the expat Nigerian community,” Wheatley noted.

Despite these challenges, the Prison Service maintains that all recruits undergo thorough assessments and training.

“In October 2023, changes were made to the skilled worker visa scheme which has allowed the prison service to sponsor visa applications for foreign nationals,” said a spokesperson. “All staff – regardless of nationality – undergo robust assessments and training before they work in prisons. Our strengthened vetting process roots out those who fall below our high standards.”

However, Mr. Fairhurst has criticised the recruitment process, particularly the reliance on Zoom interviews and six weeks of training.

He argued that this system is inadequate for preparing recruits to manage prisoners effectively.

“The process is simply not fit for purpose,” he said, warning that it risks recruiting under-qualified or corrupt officers.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/01/nigerians-flock-uk-as-prison-officers-sleep-in-their-cars-to-cut-accommodation-cost/

They don’t know the plays yet and need to be reorientated.

You can make it big from the prison system if you smart and know when to quit.

Drugs and mobile phones are hot cakes that can quickly get you rich. Make the money from the system and leave the country before you get bursted.

I hope Nigerians willing to move abroad make good use of the opportunity. I hope some Nigerian charlatans won't turn it into a cash cow, the way they bastardized the care route.

Funny Brits, they only give you visa when they need you.

They bend immigration rules and policies whenever e hook them for throat.

If Nigeria is good enough, the British Embassies visa section in Nigeria would be closed down. Nobody would go to the penny-pinching UK for jobs or anything else.

I wonder how the subscriptions for their IELTS exams are doing now.

Wahala

The Brits are a bunch of s!

Always thinking of corruption. No wonder Nigeria isn't working

AllenSpencer:
They don’t know the plays yet and need to be reorientated.

You can make it big from the prison system if you smart and know when to quit.

Drugs and mobile phones are hot cakes that can quickly get you rich. Make the money from the system and leave the country before you get bursted.

AllenSpencer:
They don’t know the plays yet and need to be reorientated.

You can make it big from the prison system if you smart and know when to quit.

Drugs and mobile phones are hot cakes that can quickly get you rich. Make the money from the system and leave the country before you get bursted.

You must not be okay mentally. Come and try this poo over here and your former wards in the cells.

Even with this, the UK is still like a century ahead.

Fact!!!

Lies...

missjekyll:


You must not be okay mentally. Come and try this poo over here and your former wards in the cells.

False!

It goes on in every prison system. As a matter of fact, it’s a multi million Pounds sterling industry.

There's been an intense campaign to demarket the UK to prevent Nigerians from japaing. It seems this forum is gradually becoming an arm of the APC government.

Colonizers in the mud

Awon Eleribu

Na wah o

missjekyll:


You must not be okay mentally. Come and try this poo over here and your former wards in the cells.

What is posted is not good but it's the reality. Even in the US, prisons are full of drugs, phones, and even sexual acts.
Almost everyone in Federal prisons in the US has a burner phone or has a buddy with one. You can smuggle just about anything inside as long as you have enough money.

Quelme:
Even with this, the UK is still like a century ahead.

Fact!!!

Because their ancestors were thieves

In a world where stealing peoples resources becomes more difficult, they will be relegated to the mud they belong

AllenSpencer:
They don’t know the plays yet and need to be reorientated.

You can make it big from the prison system if you smart and know when to quit.

Drugs and mobile phones are hot cakes that can quickly get you rich. Make the money from the system and leave the country before you get bursted.

Are you legalizing crime?

Anything you can do legitimately in other for you to make a brighter future when you return back to Nigeria please don't hesitate to do it, God bless all legitimate hustler both home and abroad.

Ire ohh.

UK seems to haz the laziest young citizens in the whole wide
thanks to the overburdened and unsustainable welfare system that makes it more
profitable to be jobless than working.

Eventually, something will have to give or in the future they will be
desperately recruiting foreign judges, cops, civil servants and maybe MPs too to help run the country.

None of the political parties would even dare address the issue but they
choose to blame the systemic dysfunctionality on immigration.

UK desperately needs another Margaret Thatcher.

The British Government is at sea on many fronts. That society needs help!

Just pray to be sent to All Female Prison.

You might be lucky to get some free sex starved p*ssy if your neck isn't slashed in an escape attempt. 😜

CCTV all around so you are likely caught eventually

I learnt the smell there is horrible sha because of lack of hygiene

Anyway na Way

Well done

AllenSpencer:
They don’t know the plays yet and need to be reorientated.

You can make it big from the prison system if you smart and know when to quit.

Drugs and mobile phones are hot cakes that can quickly get you rich. Make the money from the system and leave the country before you get bursted.

I de fear who no fear nna

Hmmm

Outside world is so cold Especially that UK. Sad thing is that after 20yrs most of them can’t even afford a good house in Nigeria. They will have to save everything to visit Nigeria for 2 weeks and normally business man for naija dey enter western country like 3 times a year normally,

May God bless every hustlers

You ll pay through your nose to get there

Recruitment of prison officers is something that should be done very carefully otherwise they risk recruiting criminals and gang into the system

People eyes dey see for diaspora ooo.. You no go understand until you enter the system.


May God return a better time to Nigeria where an average Nigerian can again start thinking of making an impact towards the development of the country.

Hmmm....

I have one goal in life: that is to disassociate myself and lineage from any and everything that has to do with Nigeria. We lack self respect, self dignity and self esteem. Is this supposed to make the news?

What sorta rubbish is this?

Raalsalghul can you imagine this?