Legal advisers help migrants pose as gay to get asylum, undercover BBC investigation finds
Legal advisers help migrants pose as gay to get asylum, undercover BBC investigation finds
A hidden market of legal firms and consultants is profiting by assisting migrants in fabricating gay identities to secure asylum in the UK, according to a BBC investigation. The report highlights how individuals facing expired student, work, or tourist visas are coached to create fictional narratives, backed by forged documents such as letters, photos, and medical reports, to claim asylum based on fears of persecution in Pakistan or Bangladesh.
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.”
While the asylum process is designed to protect those at risk in their home countries, the BBC’s probe reveals it is being manipulated by legal professionals who extract fees from migrants seeking to prolong their stay.
Asylum claims from this group have surged, accounting for 35% of all applications in 2025, which exceeded 100,000. To uncover the scale of this practice, the BBC deployed undercover reporters to simulate the process. They impersonated international students from Pakistan and Bangladesh whose visas were set to expire, engaging with legal advisers to test their willingness to fabricate cases.
Beckton meeting exposes hidden agenda
A Tuesday evening gathering at a community center in Beckton, east London, drew over 175 attendees, many traveling from South Wales, Birmingham, and Oxford. The event, organized by Worcester LGBT—a group promoting support for gay and lesbian asylum seekers—was advertised through a website claiming to welcome only genuine applicants. However, the men leaving the venue quickly contradicted this, confessing to the undercover reporter that the group’s true purpose was different.
“Most of the people here are not gays,” said Fahar, one of the attendees. Another, Zeeshan, added:
“Nobody is a gay here. Not even 1% are gay. Not even 0.01% are gay.”
The reporter’s involvement began in late February when they contacted Mazedul Hasan Shakil, a paralegal at Law & Justice Solicitors, a firm based in Birmingham and London. Shakil, who also leads Worcester LGBT, initially emphasized the need for real persecution claims. But within hours, the conversation shifted as Tanisa Khan, an adviser linked to the group, began persuading the reporter to adopt a gay identity for asylum.
Khan, who worked from her home in Forest Gate, east London, insisted the asylum route was the sole option for staying. “At the moment there is only one route from where you can get a visa and it is open,” she said. “It is the asylum visa… it is on human rights and it is called gay case or same sex.” She stressed the reporter’s role in the process, explaining:
“You are the one who has to go and take the exam. I am here to prepare everything for you but ultimately it is you who has to go there.”
The encounter, lasting 45 minutes in Khan’s bedroom, revealed the intricate methods used to stage asylum claims. From fabricated stories to polished evidence, the process underscores how the legal system is being exploited to grant residency to those without valid grounds for protection.