Three arrested after raid on gang accused of helping migrants pretend to be gay to get asylum
More than 100 claims are under review as investigators say advisers charged migrants thousands for staged photos, fake documents and coached stories.
- On Tuesday, Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers arrested three people in London targeting an alleged network supplying fabricated evidence to support sexuality-based asylum claims linked to Apanjon, a Bangladeshi community LGBT organisation based in Whitechapel, east London.
- The alleged scheme involved charging migrants between £1,000 and £4,500 for staged photographs, forged documents, and memorized backstories, often helping men claim asylum based on sexuality after their initial political-grounds applications had been rejected.
- During the raids, officers seized phones, jewellery, and thousands of pounds in cash, while the Home Office is reviewing more than 100 linked asylum applications that officials said would have "undoubtedly" been granted.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned those "faking persecution" as "beneath contempt," warning that gangs profiting from the fraud will be prosecuted and "those cheating the system" will have claims rejected and face removal from the country.
- Previous BBC investigations published in April exposed similar tactics by adviser Tanisa Khan, while immigration judges have previously flagged evidence from Apanjon as unreliable or not credible, highlighting a recurring pattern in the asylum system.
22 Articles
22 Articles
U.K. says arrestees helped straight Bangladeshi asylum-seekers pretend to be gay
Dozens claimed returning to homophobic Bangladesh would put their lives at risk. British immigration police are cracking down on a suspected criminal network believed to be behind dozens of fake asylum claims from straight Bangladeshi people pretending to be gay so they can claim that returning home to Bangladesh would put their lives at risk.…
Arrests made in Home Office raid on fake gay asylum evidence group
Home Office investigators say more than 100 linked asylum claims are being reviewed after officers seized phones, jewellery and cash. The post Two arrested accused of charging up to £4.5k to fake gay asylum claims appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.
Three Arrested Over Alleged £4,500 UK Asylum Fraud Network Using Staged Photos to 'Prove' Men Were Gay
Three people have been arrested in London over allegations that a suspected network charged migrants thousands of pounds for fabricated LGBT evidence supporting UK asylum claims.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
