At a press briefing in Dhaka on 25 November, British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke unveiled a UK-led campaign to combat visa fraud aimed at Bangladeshi applicants. The initiative urges prospective migrants to use only official channels after a surge in scams promising ‘guaranteed UK visas’ in exchange for large fees.
Cooke stressed that fraudulent facilitation not only empties savings but also exposes victims to trafficking and other exploitation. Offenders face tough consequences, including 10-year UK travel bans. The High Commission will step up social-media messaging, partner with local NGOs and law-enforcement agencies, and hold outreach clinics at education fairs and recruitment expos.
![British High Commission launches campaign against visa fraud, warns of 10-year travel bans]()
For employers sourcing talent from Bangladesh and neighbouring markets, the announcement is significant. Workers caught using forged documents could trigger sponsor-licence suspensions, while genuine candidates may experience processing delays as UKVI increases scrutiny of Bangladeshi applications. HR teams should therefore tighten document-verification procedures and direct candidates to the gov.uk portal rather than third-party ‘agents’.
The campaign aligns with wider Home Office enforcement statistics showing a 51 per cent rise in workplace raids over the past year. Visa sponsors must expect more due-diligence calls and should keep meticulous right-to-work records.
Practical takeaway: refresh onboarding checklists to include explicit fraud-awareness briefings for new hires from high-risk jurisdictions.
Cooke stressed that fraudulent facilitation not only empties savings but also exposes victims to trafficking and other exploitation. Offenders face tough consequences, including 10-year UK travel bans. The High Commission will step up social-media messaging, partner with local NGOs and law-enforcement agencies, and hold outreach clinics at education fairs and recruitment expos.
For employers sourcing talent from Bangladesh and neighbouring markets, the announcement is significant. Workers caught using forged documents could trigger sponsor-licence suspensions, while genuine candidates may experience processing delays as UKVI increases scrutiny of Bangladeshi applications. HR teams should therefore tighten document-verification procedures and direct candidates to the gov.uk portal rather than third-party ‘agents’.
The campaign aligns with wider Home Office enforcement statistics showing a 51 per cent rise in workplace raids over the past year. Visa sponsors must expect more due-diligence calls and should keep meticulous right-to-work records.
Practical takeaway: refresh onboarding checklists to include explicit fraud-awareness briefings for new hires from high-risk jurisdictions.
