As the wave of “Japa” syndrome continues to sweep through Nigeria, under-the-table jobs abroad have emerged as both a lifeline and a hidden trap for thousands of Nigerians chasing greener pastures in countries abroad.
Reports have emerged that many Nigerians and other migrants abroad engage in these under-the-table jobs to survive.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that under-the-table jobs in abroad are informal, cash-in-hand, or undocumented roles.
These jobs are often taken by migrants to beat high living costs, stretch study visas, or survive without full work permits.
While the dream of remittances and a better life fuels the migration, the realities of under-the-table jobs tell a different story.
From caregiving in chilly UK homes to late-night warehouse shifts in Canada, many Nigerians find themselves trading qualifications for survival gigs that pay the bills but erode their health and futures.
In this report, Pan-Atlantic Kompass explores how immigrants and even Nigerians abroad frequently accept roles far below their education levels because these positions offer immediate cash and flexible (though illegal) hours.
Common Under-Table Jobs
1. Cleaning and Domestic Work: Many Nigerians work as cleaners in offices, hotels, or private homes, often during early morning or late-night hours. These jobs pay cash, typically £8-£12 per hour in some places, and require little formal documentation.
2. Caregiving and Support Work: The UK’s care sector is a magnet for undertable work. Nigerians, especially women, take on roles as live-in carers or home support workers for the elderly, earning quick cash while navigating visa restrictions. With the recent decision by the UK government to stop the issuance of visas to foreign care workers, there are projections that more immigrants who are already in the country would be integrated into the formal caregiving economy in the UK to plug the employment gap in the sector.
3. Construction and Manual Labor: Men often find themselves in construction, working as laborers or handymen. These physically demanding roles offer immediate pay.
4. Food Delivery and Gig Economy: While platforms like Uber Eats or Deliveroo are formal, some Nigerians take on “borrowed” accounts, delivering food under someone else’s name to bypass work permit issues.
5. Hairdressing and Barbering: In Nigerian communities, pop-up salons thrive. Barbers and hairdressers offer services at home or in informal settings, catering to diaspora clients who value cultural expertise.
Why Nigerians Keep Choosing These Paths
High unemployment, inflation, and insecurity at home push the Japa wave forward. With over two million Nigerians living abroad and more departing yearly, the pressure to send money home is immense.
Social media highlights luxury cars and foreign salaries while downplaying the grind, creating unrealistic expectations.
Families pin hopes on diaspora earnings for school fees and housing.
Realities of Under-the-Table Work
High Cost of Living & Multiple Jobs: Many realize that rent and living expenses are astronomically high. To survive, they often end up holding two or three jobs, working over 12 hours a day, which leads to extreme burnout.
Exploitation by Compatriots: A notable trend is that fellow Nigerians in the diaspora often treat, undervalue, or underpay their own countrymen, exploiting their desperate situations.
The “Study Route” Lie: Some are deceived into thinking that holding a study visa allows for unlimited work, leading them into jobs that pay far less than the minimum wage, sometimes as low as $2,000/month.
No Safety Net: Informal workers have no insurance, pension, or protection against abusive employers.
Risks Involved
Deportation & Visa Bans: Working illegally overseas is a serious offense. Being caught can lead to immediate arrest, detention, deportation, and a long-term ban on returning. Deportation remains the ultimate fear.
A single tip-off, workplace raid, or traffic stop can end in arrest, detention, and swift removal. Recent U.S. data reveals 3,690 Nigerians already hold final deportation orders, many tied to immigration violations or overstay issues.
Extreme Physical & Mental Health Issues: Many work under harsh weather conditions (snow) and in unsafe environments, resulting in physical injury, cold-related illnesses, and severe stress. Physical and mental health suffer terribly. Warehouse workers endure freezing conditions in snow-covered loading bays; caregivers lift immobile patients without proper equipment. Cold-related illnesses, back injuries, and repetitive strain injuries pile up without medical coverage. Mental tolls include anxiety, depression, and isolation exacerbated by hiding illegal work from family and friends.
Exploitation & Fraud: Without a contract, workers are easily underpaid or not paid at all, and have no legal recourse.
Danger of Forced Labor: Many are lured by fraudulent agents into situations resembling human trafficking or forced labor.
Educational Neglect: For students, working over hours leads to poor grades and potential expulsion, sabotaging the original reason for migration.
