Nurses who aspire to work abroad are reminded by Migrante-Aotearoa, a group of migrant workers not to be lured by supposedly job offers in New Zealand that would require them to undergo English language proficiency programs. The illegal recruiters charge exorbitant fees for tuition and recruitment and to comply with them, the applicants and their families are usually led to huge debts.

In this type of scam, recruitment agencies encourage the nurses to undergo training in English language proficiency. They are able to convince many applicants because they would say that by doing so, they would find it easier to meet the English proficiency level required by the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

The agencies also promise the applicants that while having their language training; they would have the opportunity to work up to 20 hours a week as healthcare assistants in nursing homes in New Zealand. Apparently this is possible because they have connections with some institutions in New Zealand.

However feedbacks from nurses who went to New Zealand for the English language program said that they had a difficult time finding jobs. The cities of Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington give priority to their local citizens when applying for jobs.

Migrante-Aotearoa national coordinator, Dennis Maga said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines news site,  “The English study scheme has turned out to be a pathway for many Filipino nurses to become heavily indebted migrant professionals who can only get jobs as caregivers in rest-homes rather than nurses in hospitals in New Zealand."

Maga further explained that many nurses find the move to go to New Zealand for the English program a wrong decision because they end up having a hard time paying the loans that they incurred to be able to go there. By working as caregiver for up to 20 hours a week, they are only receiving barely-above minimum pay.

Aside from that, the high cost of housing and living in New Zealand makes it doubly difficult for them. They also need to pay an average of NZD12,000 (Php372,000) for the study course.

Apparently this English language scam is not new. Maga said, “In 2008 the New Zealand Herald also reported that Filipino nurses were brought in to New Zealand on student visas by private English language schools and trained solely for aged care, instead of doing bridging courses to become registered nurses. Students were encouraged to take a 24-week English course, at a cost of more than USD8,000, aimed at getting their nursing registration."

The Migrante Aotearoa is calling the attention of the governments of the Philippines and New Zealand to further investigate into this matter. They are also encouraging those who have been victimized by this scam to report their cases through migrante@xtra.co.nz.