Law firms and advisers are charging fees to help migrants to
fabricate sexual orientation-based asylum claims in order to remain in the
United Kingdom (UK), a BBC investigation has
revealed.
In an undercover report, the BBC found that some legal
advisers allegedly provide migrants whose visas are nearing expiration with
fake cover stories and guide them on how to obtain fabricated evidence to
support their claims.
The UK’s asylum process gives protection to people who
cannot return to their home countries due to fear of being in danger,
especially in countries where same-sex relationships are outlawed.
However, the BBC investigation found that the system is
being systematically exploited by some legal advisers who help migrants submit
false claims, particularly asylum applications based on sexual orientation.
BBC reporters posed as international students from Pakistan
and Bangladesh whose visas were about to expire.
The investigation found that some legal advisers allegedly
tutored migrants on how to present themselves as gay and obtain fabricated
evidence to support their claims for asylum.
The report said one law firm charged up to £7,000 to make a
fabricated asylum claim and promised that the chance of refusal by the Home
Office was “very low”.
It said fake asylum seekers visited general practitioners
(GPs) pretending to be depressed in order to get medical evidence to bolster
their cases.
In one instance cited by the investigation, one asylum
seeker lied about being HIV positive.
The BBC further said a lawyer told one undercover reporter
that he had helped people pretend to be gay or atheists to successfully obtain
asylum.
An undercover reporter who attended an asylum-related LGBT
event in Beckton, East London, filmed some attendees admitting they were not
gay.
‘HOME OFFICE INVESTIGATING’
The BBC
reports that the UK prime minister’s spokesperson said the Home
Office and Immigration Advice Authority are working to ensure “anyone
potentially abusing our immigration system is held accountable.”
“Both the Home Office and Immigration Advice Authority are
investigating the claims made by the BBC, both yesterday and today, to ensure
anyone potentially abusing our immigration system is held accountable,” the
spokesperson said.
“Any attempt to misuse protections designed to protect
genuine victims from the devastation of domestic abuse is shameful and
completely unacceptable.
“The home secretary has been clear that those trying to
defraud the British people to remain in the UK will have their application
refused and find themselves on a one-way flight out of Britain.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NOP NIGERIA to reach thousands of our daily users
