Two people have been arrested in East London as part of an investigation into claims that immigration advisers encouraged asylum seekers to falsely state they were gay in order to stay in the UK.
Home Office immigration enforcement officers carried out raids at addresses across the capital on Wednesday.
A man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of fraud, while a woman in her 40s was detained on suspicion of unlawfully providing immigration services in breach of Section 91 of the Immigration and Asylum Act..
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MSN reports: The raids followed a BBC investigation which revealed some migrants whose UK visas were due to expire were being advised to obtain fake evidence that they were gay and would be persecuted if sent back to their country of origin.
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The broadcaster secretly filmed an event for LGBT asylum seekers where several migrants told an undercover reporter that most of those attending were not genuinely gay but were obtaining evidence for their claims.
Advisers allegedly charged thousands of pounds to provided fake cover stories and fabricated testimony from partners.
People would then claim to be gay and tell authorities they feared for their lives if forced to return to countries such as Pakistan or Bangladesh.
One undercover reporter was told that once his claim was approved, he could bring his wife over from Pakistan and she could also claim to be a lesbian.
A Home Office spokesman said: “Two suspected sham immigration lawyers have been arrested after they were accused of operating at the heart of a shadow industry that ‘coached’ illegal migrants to pretend they are gay.
“Both suspects are thought to have charged thousands of pounds for a service that advised migrants to fake details of their sexuality to falsely claim asylum in the UK.
“The arrests, led by the Criminal Financial Investigations team, follow record enforcement success in 2025, with organised immigration crime arrests, convictions and asset seizures hitting historic levels. Both suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues.”
Home Office minister Mike Tapp attended one of the raids.
He said: “If lawyers, or so-called lawyers, and legal advisers are out there providing this dodgy advice, we’re coming after them…we’ll make those arrests.
“Our asylum system is there for people who are genuinely fleeing persecution and war.”
