An extensive investigation by the BBC is now shaking the British asylum system. Undercover journalists have uncovered a shadow industry of advisers and law firms that earn large sums by helping migrants to fabricate asylum applications.
Migrants pay thousands of pounds for assistance in lying about their sexual orientation or political convictions in order to secure residence in the country.
Organised cynicism and false evidence
The investigation shows that advisers offer what they describe as “a full package of preparation and documentation”. This includes everything from false photographs and letters of support to medical reports and articles published on news websites that appear genuine. Migrants are also trained in how to conduct themselves in interviews with the authorities in order to appear credible in their roles as persecuted homosexuals or political activists.
Certain advisers go so far as to arrange participation in demonstrations or procure false partners to substantiate the lies.
Exorbitant prices for false stories
Large sums are changing hands in this illegal industry. BBC reports that certain law firms charge up to £7,000 to assemble a fictitious case. One adviser filmed with a hidden camera claimed that the risk of rejection was very low if the instructions were followed.
Many of those who make use of these services are individuals who are already in the country on student visas or work visas that are about to expire.
Overrepresentation from certain countries
Statistics from the British authorities confirm a worrying trend in which the number of asylum applications based on sexual orientation has increased markedly. In particular, applicants from Pakistan and Bangladesh are overrepresented in these categories. One source tells the BBC that he knows several men who obtained asylum by presenting themselves as homosexual, even though in reality they were married to women in their home country.
These individuals have now brought their wives to the United Kingdom and started families, while living under a falsehood vis-à-vis the asylum system.
Political reactions and threats of expulsion
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has reacted very strongly to the revelations and describes the abuse as contemptible. She emphasises that anyone who attempts to defraud the British public in order to obtain residence will be met with the full force of the law. This includes the immediate cessation of financial support and removal from the country on a one-way flight. At the same time, the authorities announce that the so-called sham lawyers who facilitate the fraud will be prosecuted and risk both imprisonment and confiscation of assets.