Two people have been arrested in the United Kingdom over allegations they provided immigration advice that included telling people struggling to gain asylum to pretend they were gay.
The arrests followed a series of raids on businesses supplying immigration advice, and came in the wake of an undercover BBC report that exposed the practice.
The UK’s Immigration Minister Mike Tapp attended one of the raids in person and said the advice undermined the claims of genuine asylum seekers.
“If lawyers, or so‑called lawyers, and legal advisers are out there providing this dodgy advice, we’re coming after that. And as you’ve seen today, we’ll make those arrests,” he said.
“Our asylum system is there for people who are genuinely fleeing persecution and war, and I’m really proud of that. But people who are trying to abuse it will not be accepted.”
The arrests have done little to reduce criticism from the Labour government’s political rivals, who argue that improper immigration advice is widespread.
Chris Philp, the Conservative Party’s Shadow Home Secretary, has argued that the government should move to ban asylum claims from people who enter the country unlawfully. He says that if his party were in government, they would take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said the country needed to deport millions of people.
“Labour can claim no credit for clamping down on lawyers aiding false asylum claims when they failed to act themselves. Millions have entered this country illegally, and must be deported.”
A spokesperson for the Greens took a more restrained approach, arguing that inconsistent government policies had created incentives for immigration agents to act improperly, while a representative of the Liberal Democrats said it was important to recognise those with genuine claims.
“We need an asylum system that is fair, controlled and efficient.
“Britain will proudly do its part in helping those genuinely fleeing persecution, but we will not tolerate abuse of the system,” said Will Forester from the Liberal Democrats.
