Shabana Mahmood threatens ‘full pressure of the regulation’ after BBC investigation claims migrants are helped to cheat the system
A BBC investigation has revealed the dimensions of asylum abuse (Picture: BBC)
Shabana Mahmood has slammed immigration legal professionals allegedly serving to migrants to cheat the asylum system by pretending to be homosexual.
Authorized advisers are reportedly charging hundreds to educate international nationals whose scholar and work visas are expiring on tips on how to search sanctuary to remain indefinitely and declare advantages.
They’re encouraging individuals to say they’re homosexual as a result of there are not any checks, including that it’s “the very methodology everyone seems to be adopting”, a BBC investigation has claimed.
Some even supplied to rearrange for individuals to fake that they had same-sex relationships with purchasers, with others compiling dossiers of staged images and pretend help letters.
Residence Secretary Ms Mahmood declared: “Anybody abusing protections for individuals fleeing persecution over gender or sexual orientation is past contempt.
“Let me be clear: attempt to defraud the British individuals to enter or stay within the UK and your asylum declare might be refused, your help reduce off, and you will see that your self on a one-way flight out of Britain.
“Sham legal professionals facilitating this abuse will face the complete pressure of the regulation. With them behind bars, their soiled cash might be seized and reinvested to close down the crime they as soon as bankrolled.”
One undercover reporter was informed by Tanisa Khan, an unregulated immigration adviser in Forest Gate, east London: “Take heed to me.
“There’s no one who’s actual. There is just one approach out with a purpose to stay right here now and that’s the very methodology everyone seems to be adopting.”
She added: “There isn’t any check-up to search out out if the particular person is a homosexual.
“The principle factor is what you say. You simply have to inform them that ‘I’m a homosexual and it’s my actuality’.”
Ms Khan later informed the undercover reporter to attend an occasion organised by Worcester LGBT to bolster his declare.
Ms Khan informed the undercover reporter: “This assembly is important since you are required to offer proof to the Residence Workplace demonstrating that, if you’re homosexual, you might be certainly affiliated with a homosexual organisation.”
She mentioned Worcester LGBT would be capable of problem a letter he might use as proof for his software.
At one assembly proven in Beckton, east London, teams of males revealed the asylum rip-off disaster.
One man, Fahar, informed an undercover reporter: “Most people right here usually are not gays.”
One other, who provides the title Zeeshan, went additional and mentioned: “No one is a homosexual right here. Not even 1% are homosexual. Not even 0.01% are homosexual.”
The BBC investigation claims migrants are being given fabricated proof to take to Residence Workplace appointments, together with supporting letters, images and medical experiences.
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy mentioned: “Human rights legal guidelines have killed immigration management.
“Many claimant legal professionals and ‘charities’ – many publicly funded – are abetting hundreds of crimes.
“All of them belong in jail. We are going to carry the entire thing down.”
Reform UK’s house affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf mentioned: “There are lots of who’ve been equipment to the perpetration of an enormous crime on the British individuals. All might be held to account by Reform.”
Within the BBC investigation, Connaught Regulation in London bragged that, for £7,000, it might carry a fabricated asylum declare. It insisted the possibility of refusal was “very low”.
The BBC investigation additionally revealed migrants pretending to be asylum seekers are visiting GPs pretending to be depressed with a purpose to get medical proof to bolster their instances, with one even mendacity about being HIV optimistic.
A lawyer linked to a different agency informed an undercover reporter he had helped individuals fake to be homosexual or atheists to efficiently receive asylum.
He supplied to assist with a faux declare for a charge of £1,500 and mentioned it could value an extra £2,000-£3,000 to create proof.
Residence Workplace statistics present that Pakistani nationals make up a disproportionate variety of the claims made on the grounds of sexuality.
In 2023, the latest 12 months for which knowledge is offered, there have been preliminary choices on 3,430 LGBT asylum claims, and practically 1,400 new asylum claims lodged on the premise of sexual orientation.
Some 42% have been made by Pakistani nationals and so they accounted for the biggest variety of such claims in every of the 5 earlier years.
Shadow Residence Secretary Chris Philp mentioned: “This exposes the rip-off on the coronary heart of many asylum claims.
“Bogus advisers assist unlawful immigrants make up declare to sport to get asylum, for instance by pretending to be homosexual.
“Tanisa Khan and her associates like Mazedul Shakil must be prosecuted for immigration fraud.
“The entire system is rotten. The asylum system should be completely overhauled so solely a really small variety of individuals going through actual private persecution with actual proof to help it are given asylum.
“This asylum rip-off should finish. And unlawful immigrants must be banned from searching for asylum in any respect.”
A Residence Workplace spokesperson mentioned: “Any try to misuse protections designed for individuals fleeing real persecution due to their sexuality is deplorable.
“The asylum system is constructed on sturdy safeguards to make sure each declare is rigorously and pretty assessed.
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“Safety is granted solely to those that meet the established standards.
“Abuse is actively uncovered and procedures regularly reviewed to close down misuse.”
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