The UK prison service is recruiting officers from Nigeria and other countries to fill gaps in staffing.
This marks the first time the government has sponsored skilled worker visas for overseas recruits, following a change in the rules.
The move to recruit prison officers from abroad comes as the prison service struggles to fill vacancies. Many of the overseas recruits are from Nigeria, and some are switching from other visa routes.
According to The Telegraph, the prison service has faced difficulties in managing the accommodation needs of these new recruits, with some even resorting to sleeping in their cars or camping near their places of work.
Overseas prison officers face accommodation issues
Reports cite that prison officers recruited from overseas have encountered significant challenges when it comes to accommodation.
President of the Prison Officers Association (POA), Mark Fairhurst, shared the story of one foreign recruit who was commuting 70 miles from Huddersfield to Nottingham for work but eventually chose to sleep in his car to save money on accommodation.
In another case, a group of recruits set up camp in a wooded area opposite a prison after discovering that no housing was provided as part of their employment.
“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 Fairhurst.
Changes in visa rules to address staffing shortages
According to reports, the UK prison service began sponsoring skilled worker visas for foreign nationals after a change in immigration rules in October 2023.
The changes made prison officers eligible for the skilled worker visa list, which allowed them to recruit internationally.
- Ministry of Justice (MoJ) sources reported that up to 250 foreign nationals have been sponsored to work in UK prisons so far.
- Many of these recruits have completed interviews via Zoom and gone through the necessary vetting process.
- Prison governors have noted that many of the applicants come from Africa, particularly Nigeria. In one month last year, two-thirds of the 3,500 potential recruits were from the continent, according to prison officials.
- This large influx of foreign recruits has been partly driven by online promotion within the Nigerian expat community.
Challenges with integration and communication
While the recruitment of overseas staff has helped fill vacancies, it has led to some difficulties within UK prisons. president of the Prison Governors Association (PGA), Tom Wheatley, mentioned that certain prisons have faced challenges due to the high number of foreign recruits, particularly in remote rural areas.
Issues with integration into local communities and language barriers have also been reported. “It’s turned into an approach that has been promoted online by the expat Nigerian community,” Wheatley said.
Concerns over the recruitment process and staff standards
Despite the increase in foreign recruits, concerns have been raised over the recruitment and training process. Mark Fairhurst criticized the prison service’s policy of conducting interviews over Zoom and hiring officers without face-to-face interactions. He argued that this method, coupled with just six weeks of training, is insufficient to prepare recruits for managing prisoners effectively.
- Fairhurst’s concerns were supported by recent figures showing that 165 prison staff were dismissed for misconduct last year, a 34% increase from the previous year.
- The prison service responded by stating that all recruits, regardless of nationality, undergo thorough assessments and training before being assigned to prisons. They also highlighted that the recruitment process is continuously reviewed to maintain high standards and improve vetting procedures.
- Reports inform that a former prison officer from HMP Wandsworth was recently jailed for 15 months after being filmed having sex with an inmate. The prison service emphasized that its recruitment process aims to ensure that all officers meet the required standards and that appropriate steps are taken to address any misconduct.
As the UK prison service turns to international recruitment to address staffing shortages, the challenges of accommodation, integration, and training remain key concerns.
The recruitment process and its impact on the quality of prison staff continue to be monitored, with ongoing reviews of policies and practices.
