More than 100 Ukrainian nationals, who paid up to $5,000 each for what they believed were genuine work permits to allow them take up jobs here, are facing deportation after the permits turned out to be forgeries.
The Ukrainians paid between $1,500 and $5,000 to the Vittor recruitment agency in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, last year. The agency, which has a website and advertises on Ukrainian television, promised to find applicants work and accommodation, and secure work-permits for Ireland.
Mr Stanislav Nasypanny, one of the Ukrainians affected by the fraud, paid $2,400 to the agency in November and got a work-permit and, apparently, a job through the agency.
"I left my work permits and passport in the consul for 10 days," he told The Irish Times yesterday. The permit was accepted as genuine by the Irish Honorary Consul in Kiev and he was issued a working visa on November 19th.
According to Mr Conor Ó Briain, a solicitor acting on behalf of Mr Nasypanny, the work permit "contains errors on its face any inspecting authority ought to have noticed".
It was, however, accepted by immigration officials at Dublin airport and Mr Nasypanny entered the country, still believing the permit to be genuine, in December. It was also later accepted as genuine by gardaí in Mr Nasypanny's local station.
He and several other recruits were met at the airport by a representative of the agency who demanded €400 to find them accommodation. When the representative failed to find accommodation they managed to secure B&B accommodation in Dublin.
Mr Nasypanny said the Ukrainians became suspicious when the representative demanded their permits. "She had no explanation why she wanted them. So we said we wouldn't give them to her."
The permits gave details of employers, including a bakery and a mushroom farmer. When contacted, the employers said they had never heard of the agency and had no jobs for Mr Nasypanny and his co-nationals.
It was at this point that the Ukrainians contacted gardaí, with the help of their landlady and Mr Kevin Glacken of the City Bridges project in SIPTU.
Detective Inspector Martin Donnellan of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) confirmed his office was investigating the case, involving more than 100 Ukrainian nationals.
"We have given them extensions on their visas but they can't work."
"Over 100" Ukrainians had been duped by Vittor, said Det Insp Donnellan and the GNIB had been in contact with the Ukrainian authorities. However, the Vittor agency is still advertising, says Mr Nasypanny.
Work permits must usually be applied for by employers while the employees are outside Ireland. However, Mr Ó Briain wrote to the Departments of Foreign Affairs and of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on March 7th, seeking permission for employers to apply while Mr Nasypanny and the others are still in Ireland. However, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said it "knows nothing about the case". The Department of Foreign Affairs would not comment.
Mr Nasypanny has been given an extension until April 15th, although some of the others' extensions expire today. Facing deportation, they say they "can't" go back without means to repay the loans.
"The average salary in the Ukraine is very low, about €20 a month," says Mr Nasypanny. He borrowed the $2,400 from the mafia, he says, at an interest rate of 10 per cent per month. People have been killed for $500 in the Ukraine."
