Pakistanis, Bangladeshis ‘coached to fake LGBT claims’ in UK asylum system: BBC

LONDON: An undercover investigation by the BBC has alleged that a network of immigration advisers, paralegals and associated intermediaries in the United Kingdom has been helping migrants fabricate asylum claims by falsely presenting themselves as gay, charging significant sums for constructing false narratives, arranging staged evidence and coaching applicants for official interviews.

The investigation said the alleged practices primarily target migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh whose student, work or visitor visas are nearing expiry, with advisers encouraging them to apply for asylum on the basis of sexual orientation.

At least three law firms were named in the report, including 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, individuals linked to these firms were willing to discuss fabricating claims, outline the type of supporting evidence required and quote fees for handling such cases.

As part of the investigation, undercover reporters posed as international students from Pakistan and Bangladesh to test whether advisers would recommend false claims. Several individuals were prepared to offer guidance on building fabricated cases, including creating personal statements, arranging supporting letters and preparing applicants for Home Office interviews.

The BBC reported that a senior legal adviser at Connaught Law, Aqeel Abbasi, offered to assist in securing asylum by constructing a false claim and quoted a fee of £7,000. He allegedly told the undercover reporter that the chances of refusal were “very low” and said his office would guide the applicant on the type of evidence required, including where to go and what actions to take.

The adviser also suggested that the applicant would need someone to pose as a same-sex partner to support the claim. When informed that the applicant had a wife in Pakistan, he allegedly proposed a cover explanation, suggesting that attitudes in the UK were more open and that the applicant could claim to have entered a same-sex relationship after arriving.

“We will prepare a statement for you, and once you read it, you will understand exactly how it is,” the adviser was quoted as saying.

The investigation also examined the role of a support group, Worcester LGBT, which hosts meetings for asylum seekers. The BBC linked the group to Mazedul Hasan Shakil, a paralegal at Law and Justice Solicitors, and reported that the undercover reporter was directed to the group through him.

The reporter was later contacted by a woman identified as Tanisa Khan, described as an associate linked to the group. Speaking in Urdu, she allegedly told the reporter that filing a “gay case” was the only viable way to remain in the UK.

“There is nobody who is real. There is only one way out in order to live here now and that is the very method everyone is adopting,” she was quoted as saying.

The BBC described a meeting at a residence in Forest Gate, east London, where Tanisa allegedly outlined a detailed plan to fabricate an asylum claim. This included instructing the applicant to memorise a false account, arranging a supporting letter from someone claiming a same-sex relationship and preparing for Home Office interviews.

She reportedly charged £2,500 for her services, with additional costs if the case proceeded to appeal. The report also alleged that she suggested the applicant’s wife could later file a similar claim by presenting herself as lesbian.

The broadcaster shared its findings with an experienced immigration lawyer, who said the conduct described appeared to constitute fraud and warned that such practices could undermine genuine asylum applications, particularly those based on sexual orientation, which are often difficult to verify.

The report cited Home Office data indicating a high proportion of sexuality-based asylum claims originate from Pakistani nationals. In 2023, there were 3,430 initial decisions on LGBT asylum claims and nearly 1,400 new applications based on sexual orientation. Of these, 42 per cent were submitted by Pakistani nationals, despite Pakistanis accounting for a much smaller share of overall asylum claims.

Nearly two-thirds of applicants claiming persecution based on sexual orientation were granted asylum at the initial decision stage that year.

In response, the UK Home Office said that making an asylum claim through deception is a criminal offence that can lead to imprisonment and deportation. It described the misuse of protections intended for individuals fleeing persecution as deplorable, but maintained that the asylum system includes safeguards and that applications are rigorously assessed.

The department added that suspected abuse is actively investigated and procedures are continuously reviewed to ensure the integrity of the system.