Migrants told by legal advisers to pose as gay in order to get asylum and avoid deportation

Fintan Starkey
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:24:31 +0000

A network of immigration law firms and advisers has been accused of earning thousands of pounds to assist migrants in fabricating false asylum applications by claiming to be homosexual, an undercover investigation has revealed.

Individuals whose visas are approaching expiration are being coached to adopt invented backstories and guided on obtaining forged documentation, including supporting correspondence, photographs and medical records.

These migrants subsequently submit asylum applications asserting they are gay and would face danger upon returning to Pakistan or Bangladesh, where homosexual acts remain criminal offences.

The Home Office responded to the findings by stating: "Anyone found trying to exploit the system will face the full force of the law, including removal from the UK."

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The investigation, conducted by the BBC, uncovered that one legal practice was charging as much as £7,000 to pursue a fabricated asylum application, assuring clients that the likelihood of Home Office rejection was "very low".

Fraudulent applicants were found to be attending GP appointments for depression to secure medical documentation supporting their cases, with one individual even falsely claiming to be HIV positive.

One immigration adviser reportedly bragged about spending over 17 years facilitating bogus claims and offered to arrange for someone to pose as having had a homosexual relationship with a client.

A lawyer connected to a separate firm disclosed to an undercover reporter that he had assisted people in pretending to be gay or atheists to successfully secure asylum, offering his services for £1,500 plus an additional £2,000 to £3,000 for fabricating evidence.

At a community centre in Beckton, east London, more than 175 individuals gathered for an event organised by Worcester LGBT, a group describing itself as a support network for gay and lesbian asylum seekers.

Attendees had journeyed from locations including South Wales, Birmingham and Oxford, despite the organisation's website stating that only genuine gay asylum seekers are welcome.

However, men congregating outside the venue openly acknowledged to the undercover reporter that appearances were deceptive.

"Most of the people here are not gays," one attendee named Fahar admitted to the BBC.

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Another man identifying himself as Zeeshan was more emphatic in his assessment.

"Nobody is a gay here. Not even one per cent are gay. Not even 0.01 per cent are gay," he stated.

The undercover reporter's path to the Beckton gathering began in late February when he approached Mazedul Hasan Shakil, a paralegal at Law & Justice Solicitors with offices in Birmingham and London, who also serves as founder and chairman of Worcester LGBT.

Although Shakil initially indicated the reporter lacked grounds for an asylum claim, hours later a woman calling herself Tanisa telephoned unexpectedly.

Speaking in Urdu, she proved far more willing to discuss how the reporter might claim asylum based on homosexuality.

When informed he was not actually gay, she responded: "Listen to me. 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 to Worcester LGBT.

The investigator met with Ms Khan who told them: "At the moment there is only one route from where you can get a visa and it is open.

"It is the asylum visa...it is on human rights and it is called gay case or same sex. There is no hope for any other visa."

Worcester LGBT told GB News: "When our Founder and Chairman was first contacted by the individual in question, he correctly advised him that he would need genuine grounds to claim asylum and that he did not appear to have any.

"He did not agree to meet the individual in person. That was, and remains, the right advice to give.

"The individual was subsequently contacted by Tanisa Khan.

"Ms Khan is not a member of Worcester LGBT's leadership and holds no decision-making authority within the organisation.

"Her involvement with Worcester LGBT was limited entirely to community events, cultural activities, and performances.

"She had no access to membership records, no involvement in the drafting or signing of any letter, and no authority to act on Worcester LGBT's behalf in any capacity.

"All letters issued by Worcester LGBT are drafted, approved, and signed solely by the Founder and Chairman.

"Worcester LGBT opened a formal internal investigation into Ms Khan's conduct on April 8 2026.

"She was given until April 13 2026 to respond. She did not respond. She has been permanently removed from all association with Worcester LGBT.

"Worcester LGBT categorically does not fabricate, encourage, or support false evidence of any kind in connection with asylum claims or any other matter.

"Our community engagement verification process exists to ensure that our support reaches only those who genuinely need it.

"The Home Office has formally acknowledged Worcester LGBT's community support work on two occasions, most recently in April 2025.

"We fully support any investigation by the relevant authorities and will cooperate completely."