Kenya and Canada have urged young Kenyans to pursue legal labour migration pathways amid rising demand for overseas jobs and persistent cases of visa fraud.
Officials from both countries, meeting in Nairobi, warned against unregistered recruitment agencies and tourist visa schemes, stressing that only regulated channels guarantee safe and decent work abroad.
The call came during a panel discussion on safe, orderly and regular migration organised by the High Commission of Canada to Kenya.
Canada is preparing to co-host the 2026 Fifa World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico in June 2026. The global event is expected to increase travel and migration, while also raising the risk of exploitation through irregular channels.
Shadrack Mwadime, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development, said the country’s youthful population presents an opportunity for the government to facilitate access to decent jobs abroad through regulated systems.
He cautioned against unregistered recruitment agencies and misleading social media adverts, noting that the number of agencies had fallen from 1,200 to 600 following a crackdown on firms involved in illegal activities.
“Kenya has a youth bulge. A large proportion of our population is under 35. As opportunities open up in Europe and America, we want to capitalise on this for our young people,” he said.
Mwadime warned jobseekers against unregistered recruitment agencies and deceptive online adverts, adding that the government has tightened regulation of private recruiters significantly.
Licensed recruitment agencies
“Some agencies were taking Kenyans abroad on tourist visas, promising to change their status to a work visa on arrival. That is not true. If you travel as a tourist, you remain a tourist,” he said.
He added that agencies found to be engaging in illegal activity are deregistered immediately, and that a multi agency committee comprising police, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and intelligence services provides further oversight.
Mwadime revealed that the National Employment Authority website lists licensed recruitment agencies in black and deregistered firms in red. He urged Kenyans to verify recruiters before committing any money.
He also said that all foreign job orders are verified through Kenyan embassies before being uploaded to the government system.
Joshua Tabah, the Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya, said interest among Kenyans seeking to work in Canada has grown in recent years, but many continue to fall victim to fraud.
“Most Kenyans have good intentions, but too many still fall victim to visa scams and fake job offers, which push them towards irregular migration channels,” he said, adding that Kenya and Canada are working together to combat unethical recruitment practices.
Marie Pier Côté, Area Director for Sub Saharan Africa at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the agency in charge of providing visas and residency permits into Canada, said that working or studying in Canada requires proper documentation from the outset.
“To work in Canada, applicants need a genuine job offer in order to apply for a work permit. Students must first obtain a letter of acceptance from a recognised institution,” she said.
Côté warned against agents who advise applicants to travel on tourist visas with the intention of working, stating that such advice is a clear sign of fraudulent job offers.
“Travelling to Canada on a tourist visa with the intention of working constitutes irregular migration,” she cautioned.
