LONDON: A bbc An undercover investigation has alleged that a network of immigration advisers, paralegals and associated intermediaries have been helping migrants fabricate asylum claims in the UK by falsely presenting themselves as gay, charging thousands of pounds for false narratives, staged evidence and interview advice.
At least three law firms, one of them Pakistani-owned, have been accused by the bbc of fabricating asylum applications through illegal means.
Law firms include Law and Justice Solicitors and Connaught Law. Law and Justice is owned by Michael Oluyemi Makinde and Connaught Law is owned by Nauman Javid, Sheryar Khan, Zehra Tamkan and Awais Javed.
According to the bbc investigation, the abuse focuses on immigrants, particularly from Pakistan and Bangladesh, whose student, work or tourist visas are about to expire and who are allegedly advised to seek asylum on the basis of their sexual orientation, such as being gay or lesbian.
Using undercover reporters posing as international students from Pakistan and Bangladesh, the bbc said it tested whether immigration consultants would encourage false asylum claims based on sexuality.
He reported finding several people willing to discuss false claims, suggest supporting evidence, and quote fees for handling such cases. Among the findings were allegations that law firm Connaught quoted up to £7,000 for a trumped-up claim and described the chances of rejection as “very low”, while another adviser allegedly offered to prepare fake letters of support, photographs and even an alleged sexual partner to support an asylum claim.
He bbc The undercover journalist arranged an appointment with Aqeel Abbasi, senior legal adviser at Connaught Law, which has its offices in central London on Gray's Inn Road.
Abbasi told bbc reporter who could help him stay in the country and seemed willing to tell him how to fabricate evidence for a false claim. He promised the chances of rejection by the Home Office were “very low”.
He said his fee would be £7,000 and, once paid, his office would contact the undercover reporter to guide him through the process and the type of evidence required.
This would include advising you on “where to go or what specific actions to take.”
The legal counsel also suggested that the undercover reporter would need to find someone willing to impersonate his male/gay partner. When the journalist said he had a wife in Pakistan, Abbasi was quick to suggest a cover story to explain this, saying things were “more open” in the UK than in Pakistan and that he now had a male partner.
“We will prepare a statement for you and once you read it you will understand exactly what it is like,” Abbasi said.
A major part of the investigation focused on Worcester LGBT, a support organization for gay and lesbian asylum seekers, which holds monthly meetings attended by large numbers of migrants from across the country.
He bbc traced the undercover reporter's route to the group through Mazedul Hasan Shakil, a paralegal at Law and Justice Solicitors, an immigration firm based in Birmingham and London, who is also described as founder and chairman of Worcester LGBT.
The journalist received a call from a woman identified as Tanisa (Shakil's partner), who, in Urdu, allegedly became much more direct about using a “gay case” as the only realistic route to remaining in Britain.
When told that the journalist was not gay, Tanisa responded: “There is no one who is real. There is only one way to live here now and that is the method that everyone is adopting.” He bbc He identified her as Tanisa Khan, a consultant with ties to Worcester LGBT.
The broadcaster then described an initial meeting in Forest Gate, east London, which took place at Tanisa's home.
According to the report, she presented a plan to fabricate an asylum claim based on same-sex orientation, warning that the applicant would have to convincingly memorize a false story for Home Office interviews. The report said she offered to obtain a letter from someone claiming to have had sexual relations with the applicant and said she would fully prepare him for the Home Office process.
He charged £2,500, with additional costs if the claim failed and he appealed. He bbc He also said he suggested that if the journalist then brought his wife from Pakistan to Britain, she could also make a false asylum claim posing as a lesbian.
He bbc He showed his images to immigration attorney Ana González, who has 30 years of experience. He said Tanisa appeared to be “committing fraud by fabricating a claim” and warned that such conduct makes life more difficult for genuine asylum seekers, especially LGBT applicants whose cases are often difficult to objectively prove.
The report says it is impossible to establish precise figures for fabricated claims, but Home Office data suggests a disproportionate number of asylum claims based on sexuality come from Pakistani citizens.
In 2023, there were 3,430 initial decisions on LGBT asylum applications and almost 1,400 new applications based on sexual orientation. Of these, 42% were filed by Pakistani citizens, which also accounted for the largest number in each of the previous five years. The article noted that Pakistanis were only the fourth most common nationality in all asylum applications and represented only 6% of total applications overall.
Nearly two-thirds of asylum seekers who reported persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation had their claims granted at the initial decision stage in 2023.
The Ministry of the Interior told the bbc that submitting an asylum application by deception is a criminal offense and that anyone convicted can face imprisonment and deportation.
He said the misuse of protections designed for people fleeing genuine persecution because of their sexuality was deplorable, but insisted the asylum system includes safeguards and that applications are rigorously assessed.
The department added that abuse is actively investigated and procedures are continually reviewed.
