Consultant on Anti-Scam Communications and Outreach Associated with Irregular Recruitment Schemes

Project Context and Scope             

The UK’s Seasonal Workers Scheme (SWS) provides seasonal workers entry and employment in the UK for up to 6 months to fill seasonal gaps in agriculture. Since 2020, the number of Kazakh nationals receiving the UK’s Seasonal Worker visas has grown significantly, exceeding 5,000 people in 2024. It is imperative that the migrants’ migration experiences are as positive as possible - from the recruitment process, to employment, to return - to mitigate the risks and maximize the benefits of this migration for the livelihoods and quality of life of migrants and their families.

In Kazakhstan, recruitment of migrant workers under the SWS is officially carried out by the UK-based SWS operators (private recruitment companies) and their sub-contractors (also private recruitment companies) licensed by the UK government. Misinformation and fraud have been rife as there has thus far been no legitimate and reliable information disseminated by the Government of Kazakhstan on the SWS and more specifically, recruitment.

Since 2024, IOM has been supporting the Kazakh government’s engagement in the SWS at the country level to ensure that potential migrants receive accurate and reliable information about the SWS, reducing the risk of exploitation and trafficking. It also helps regulate labour migration flows, ensuring the protection of workers' rights and enhancing bilateral cooperation with the UK.

Significant groundwork has already been undertaken in Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asia region to address unethical recruitment practices linked to irregular labor migration, particularly in the context of seasonal worker schemes. Previous initiatives, carried out in close collaboration with government partners and civil society organizations, have resulted in a set of comprehensive recommendations aimed at improving transparency, strengthening referral mechanisms, and enhancing the protection of migrant workers from fraudulent recruitment practices. These findings have underscored the urgent need for clear, accessible, and trustworthy information for potential migrants, especially in light of increasing recruitment volumes to the UK’s Seasonal Worker Scheme.

Building on this foundation, the current consultancy will translate existing research and recommendations into actionable anti-scam messaging and digital outreach tools. The consultant will develop a strategic communications package and support the design of a targeted online awareness campaign, ensuring that the anti-scam content is both evidence-based and aligned with the priorities of government and NGO stakeholders. This will help bridge the gap between policy and practice, reinforcing existing efforts through public engagement and social media dissemination.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing   LMD, Safe Migration of Seasonal Workers from Central Asia to the UK/KG10P0554                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Tasks to be performed under this contract
 a) Develop targeted anti-scam messaging and social media content based on the findings of the analysis, in coordination with the internet company responsible for dissemination.

 -   Develop Key Messages: Create anti-scam messages based on analysis, tailored to different audiences (e.g., youth, rural residents)
 -   Prepare a content package (posts, captions, hashtags, slogans)
b) Produce a toolkit and campaign brief for use by the internet company, outlining key messaging, audience targeting, FAQs, and communication guidelines.
 -  Develop a brief/toolkit with messaging strategy, FAQs, visual guidelines, and a standalone fact sheet for awareness.
c) Facilitate coordination with the internet company to ensure dissemination strategies align with campaign goals.
 - Hold two meetings to align messaging and formats and provide technical input on digital outreach strategies.
d) Submit a post-campaign recommendations report assessing message effectiveness and potential improvements.

 - Conduct a virtual focus group with returned migrants or CSOs to test and refine messaging.
 - Recommend ways to monitor impact and submit a summary report with lessons learned and future improvements.
e) Attend and contribute to ‘Safe Migration of Seasonal Workers from Central Asia to the UK’ project events
  Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment:     Draft of key anti-scam messages and social media content for campaign - June 2025 Campaign brief/toolkit including messaging strategy and visual guidelines - June 2025 Two consultation meetings with internet company and summary notes - July, September 2025 Final anti-scam social media content package (ready-to-use) - August 2025 Post-campaign recommendations and content effectiveness report - December 2025
    Education

Higher education (Bachelor’s degree or higher) in Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, Development Studies or Migration Studies or related field from a recognized institution;