Legal advisers help migrants pose as gay to get asylum, undercover BBC investigation finds
Legal Advisers Help Migrants Pretend to Be Gay for Asylum, BBC Investigation Reveals
BBC investigations have uncovered a hidden network of law firms and immigration consultants charging hefty fees to assist migrants in fabricating identities as gay individuals in order to secure asylum. The first phase of this extensive covert inquiry exposes how individuals facing expiring visas are given crafted narratives and coached on acquiring forged documents, such as letters of support, photos, and medical reports, to bolster their asylum applications. These claims assert that returning to their native countries, Pakistan or Bangladesh, would put them at risk of persecution.
Responding to the findings, the Home Office stated:
“Anyone attempting to manipulate the system will face legal consequences, including deportation from the UK.”
The asylum process is designed to grant refuge to those who cannot safely return home. Yet the BBC’s report indicates that this system is increasingly being manipulated by legal professionals who extract payments from migrants seeking to prolong their stay.
These migrants often hail from the same regions as those arriving via small boats or other undocumented methods. However, a significant portion—comprising 35% of all asylum claims—consists of individuals whose student, work, or tourist visas have lapsed. In 2025, the total number of asylum applications surpassed 100,000.
Following preliminary evidence, including insider tips, BBC reporters conducted an undercover probe to assess how readily immigration advisers would assist in creating false asylum claims. Posing as students from Pakistan and Bangladesh with expiring visas, they infiltrated a meeting organized by Worcester LGBT, a group claiming to support gay and lesbian asylum seekers. Despite their stated mission, attendees readily admitted to the reporter that the situation was not as straightforward.
At a gathering in Beckton, east London, over 175 people convened at a community center. Some traveled from as far as South Wales and Oxford to join. However, as the reporter observed, many men present confessed to the undercover investigation that they were not genuinely gay. One man, Fahar, noted:
“Most of the people here are not gays.”
Another, Zeeshan, went further:
“Nobody is a gay here. Not even 1% are gay. Not even 0.01% are gay.”
The undercover reporter’s journey began in late February when he contacted Mazedul Hasan Shakil, a paralegal at Law & Justice Solicitors in Birmingham and London. Shakil, also the founder of Worcester LGBT, used the group’s website to promote his services. During an initial conversation, he assured the reporter that asylum claims required proof of persecution. Yet shortly after, a call from Tanisa, who spoke in Urdu, suggested otherwise. She emphasized the necessity of claiming homosexuality as the sole path to residency.
Later that evening, the reporter met Tanisa at her home in Forest Gate, east London. She explained the asylum process as the “only route” available, focusing on “human rights” claims tied to same-sex relationships. “You are the one who has to go and take the exam,” she told the reporter, “I am here to prepare everything for you but ultimately it is you who has to go there.” The 45-minute session in her bedroom revealed how meticulously these fabricated cases are prepared.
