Migrants, particularly from Pakistan and Bangladesh, are reportedly being advised to apply for asylum on the basis of sexual orientation.
LONDON: A BBC undercover investigation has alleged that a network of immigration advisers, paralegals and other intermediaries has been assisting migrants in the UK to fabricate asylum claims by falsely claiming they are gay. The services reportedly include charging thousands of pounds for fabricated narratives, staged evidence, and coaching for asylum interviews.
The report also claims that at least three law firms—one of them owned by Pakistani nationals—have been implicated in helping prepare these allegedly false asylum applications through unlawful methods.
The law firms named in the report include Law and Justice Solicitors and Connaught Law. Law and Justice is owned by Michael Oluyemi Makinde, while Connaught Law is owned by Nauman Javid, Sheryar Khan, Zehra Tamkan, and Awais Javed.
According to the BBC investigation, the alleged abuse centres on migrants—particularly from Pakistan and Bangladesh—whose student, work, or tourist visas are nearing expiry and who are then reportedly advised to seek asylum on the grounds of sexual orientation, claiming to be gay or lesbian.
Using undercover reporters posing as international students from Pakistan and Bangladesh, the BBC said it tested whether immigration advisers would encourage fabricated sexuality-based asylum claims.
The investigation claimed that several individuals were willing to discuss false claims, suggest supporting evidence, and quote fees for handling such cases. It alleged that Connaught Law quoted up to £7,000 for a fabricated claim and described the chances of refusal as “very low”, while another adviser allegedly offered to arrange fake supporting letters, photographs, and even a supposed male partner to support an asylum application.
The BBC undercover reporter arranged a meeting with Aqeel Abbasi, a senior legal adviser at Connaught Law, based in Central London on Gray’s Inn Road.
Abbasi reportedly told the reporter he could help him remain in the UK and appeared willing to guide him in constructing false evidence. He allegedly assured him that the risk of refusal by the Home Office was “very low.”
He stated his fee would be £7,000, after which his office would guide the applicant through the process and advise on the type of evidence required, including “where to go or what specific actions to take.”
The adviser also allegedly suggested the applicant would need someone to act as a male partner. When told the reporter had a wife in Pakistan, Abbasi reportedly proposed a cover story explaining the situation by claiming cultural differences and a new same-sex relationship in the UK.
“We will prepare a statement for you, and once you read it, you will understand exactly how it is,” Abbasi was quoted as saying.
A significant part of the investigation focused on Worcester LGBT, a support group for gay and lesbian asylum seekers that holds monthly meetings attended by migrants from across the UK.
The BBC traced the undercover reporter’s introduction to the group through Mazedul Hasan Shakil, a paralegal at Law and Justice Solicitors, an immigration firm operating in Birmingham and London, who is also described as the founder and chairman of Worcester LGBT.
The reporter later received a call from a woman identified as Tanisa, an associate of Shakil, who allegedly said in Urdu that a “gay case” was the only viable option for staying in the UK.
When told the reporter was not gay, she reportedly replied: “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.” The BBC identified her as Tanisa Khan, an adviser linked to Worcester LGBT.
The broadcaster also described an initial meeting in Forest Gate, East London, held at Tanisa’s residence.
According to the report, she allegedly outlined a plan to construct a false asylum claim based on sexual orientation, warning that the applicant would need to memorise a detailed fabricated story for Home Office interviews. She also reportedly offered to obtain a supporting statement from someone claiming a sexual relationship with the applicant and to fully prepare him for the asylum process.
She allegedly charged £2,500, with additional fees if the case was rejected and went to appeal. The BBC further reported that she suggested a similar false claim could later be made by the applicant’s wife if she joined him in the UK.
The BBC shared its findings with immigration lawyer Ana Gonzalez, who has 30 years of experience. She said the material suggested potential fraud through the manufacturing of asylum claims and warned that such practices undermine genuine asylum seekers, particularly LGBT applicants whose cases are often difficult to verify objectively.
The report noted that exact figures for fabricated claims cannot be confirmed, but Home Office data indicates a relatively 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% were submitted by Pakistani nationals, who also accounted for the highest number over the previous five years. Pakistani nationals were the fourth most common nationality across all asylum applications, representing around 6% of total claims.
Nearly two-thirds of asylum seekers claiming persecution based on sexual orientation were granted asylum at the initial decision stage in 2023.
The Home Office told the BBC that making an asylum claim through deception is a criminal offence that can result in imprisonment and deportation. It said misuse of protections intended for those fleeing genuine persecution is unacceptable, adding that asylum applications are carefully assessed and cases of abuse are actively investigated.
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