A Gambian social care worker based in the United Kingdom has been permanently banned from working in the profession after being convicted of serious criminal offences involving the use of fraudulent travel documents.
Isatou Singhateh, who was employed in the social care sector in Edinburgh, was found guilty at the High Court of Edinburgh for her role in two separate incidents in which she helped individuals enter the UK using fake passports.
In the first case, Singhateh arranged for a man to travel from The Gambia to Edinburgh via Istanbul using a fraudulent passport. The offence took place between August 8, 2020, and February 26, 2021.
In a second, separate incident, she accompanied a woman on a similar journey from Banjul International Airport through Istanbul to Manchester Airport between January 4 and January 17, 2022. After arriving in the UK, Singhateh purchased train tickets and travelled with the woman from Manchester to Edinburgh.
In addition to these offences, she was also convicted of stealing a quantity of money between April 2021 and January 2022.
Following her conviction, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), which regulates social workers and care professionals in Scotland, removed Singhateh from its register.
In its decision, the SSSC said: “Your behaviour represents a fundamental failing and demonstrates values and attitude concerns which identify you as unsuitable for continued professional registration. There are ongoing public protection and public interest concerns arising from your actions. The SSSC is required to take action to reaffirm the expected professional standards and firmly declare that your actions were unacceptable.”
Singhateh’s removal from the register came into effect on Wednesday.
