TWO people have been arrested amid a probe into lawyers accused of telling illegal migrants to pose as gay to get asylum.
Rogue advisers provided fabricated cover stories and testimony from fake partners to help migrants whose visas were due to expire, a shock investigation found.
Shameless advisers, who have not been arrested, were found by the BBC to be helping migrants pose as gay
The BBC also filmed at an event for LGBT asylum seekers, where migrants told an undercover reporter that most attendees were not gay.
In response to the footage, the Home Office launched a probe.
Coordinated raids were carried out in east London by the Home Office and two people have been arrested.
A woman in her late forties is being held on suspicion of providing an immigration service contrary to section 91 of the Immigration and Asylum Act.
Separately, a man in his early twenties was arrested on suspicion of fraud, a Home Office source told the BBC.
Immigration Minister Mike Tapp attended one of the raids, saying the advice handed out by the rogue lawyers undermined genuine asylum claims.
He said: “If lawyers, or so-called lawyers, and legal advisers are out there providing this dodgy advice, we’re coming after them. And as you’ve seen today, we’ll make those arrests.
“Our asylum system is there for people who are genuinely fleeing persecution and war and I’m really proud of that.
“But people that are trying to abuse it will not be accepted.”
The broadcaster’s investigation found migrants whose visas are due to expire are being instructed on how to obtain fake evidence to support asylum claims.
The investigation filmed at an event for LGBT asylum seekers with a reporter attending undercover.
Many of those at the event told the undercover reporter that most of them were not genuinely gay.
After the shocking revelations the Home Office announced an investigation in response.
Rogue advisers provide fabricated cover stories and testimony from fake partners, while charging thousands of pounds in the asylum scam.
In an attempt to avoid being booted out of the country, migrants reportedly claim to be in fear for their lives if they return to their home country.
One reporter was even told that once he won his false case, he could bring his wife over from Pakistan and she could also claim to be a lesbian.
Shocking footage shows behind the scenes at a meeting for “gay and lesbian asylum seekers” in Beckton, East London.
Despite the group’s claims to be a support network, some attending at the community centre laughed at the idea they were actually gay.
Another firm, which offers the coaching services, had demanded £7,000 for a “guaranteed” fake claim.
Some advisers in the footage boasted they could arrange for people to pretend they’d had gay sexual relationships with the clients.
Masterminds behind the scams were also caught on camera teaching clients on how to pass their Home Office interviews.
