Some migrants desperate to continue living in the UK are being drawn into a shady system where advisers allegedly help fabricate asylum claims, blurring the line between survival and fraud and risking the credibility of genuine refugees, the BBC reported.
An investigation has revealed that a hidden network of legal advisers and firms is charging migrants large sums to help them falsely claim to be gay in order to secure asylum in the country. Other ways to gain asylum are either pretending to be an atheist and writing articles in atheist magazines, preferably against Islam or the Prophet Muhammad.
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Migrants whose visas are about to expire are trained to present false stories and are led to obtain fictitious evidence such as letters of support, staged photographs and medical documents. They then apply for asylum, claiming to be gay and fearing for their lives if they return to Bangladesh or Pakistan.
The British asylum system provides protection for people who cannot return to their home countries because returning would pose a danger to their lives. For example, in countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, being a member of the LGBT community is still considered taboo and gay sex is illegal.
What did the investigation reveal?
The BBC has revealed that the country’s asylum system is being abused by legal advisers who are charging exorbitant fees from migrants who want to stay in the country. People who often find themselves in this trap are people whose student, work or tourist visas have expired or are about to expire, rather than those who have just entered the country on small boats or other illegal routes.
The law firm charged up to £7,000 to make a bogus asylum claim, adding that the likelihood of rejection by the Home Office was “very low”. Bogus asylum seekers were advised to visit GPs who feigned depression to get medical evidence to bolster their cases, with one even lying about being HIV positive.
The investigation revealed that the immigration consultant claimed she had spent more than 17 years facilitating bogus asylum claims, adding that she could even arrange for someone to pretend to be in a same-sex relationship with a client.
The undercover reporter was also told he could bring his wife back from Pakistan after securing asylum in the UK and that she could then make a false claim pretending to be a lesbian.
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A lawyer connected to another firm told a reporter that he helped applicants pretend to be gay or atheist to get asylum. He offered to help with a bogus claim for £1,500, with a further £2,000-3,000 for fabricated evidence.
Pakistani nationals make most claims based on sexuality
Citing figures from the Home Office, the report revealed that Pakistani nationals make up a disproportionately high proportion of asylum applications based on sexuality.
According to 2023 data, 3,430 LGBT asylum applications were initially decided, with nearly 1,400 new asylum applications made on the basis of sexual orientation. About 42% of these claims were made by Pakistani nationals. The report added that this was the largest number of such claims in five years.
What did the officials say?
Responding to a BBC investigation, the Home Office said: “Anyone caught trying to abuse the system will face the full force of the law, including expulsion from the UK.”
Jo White, a Labor MP and member of the home affairs select committee, said the government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, must “crack down” on the exposed law firms and consultants.
She added that the evidence should be handed over to the police so that they can start investigations and crack down on such operations.
The Bassetlaw MP also asked the Home Office to consider suspending study visas for Pakistani nationals, similar to restrictions imposed last month on applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan amid fears of widespread visa abuse.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the investigation highlighted what he described as systemic abuse in asylum applications and that the solicitors involved should face prosecution for immigration fraud.
