3 arrested in UK over alleged fake gay asylum claims involving Bangladeshi men

Highlights:

• Bangladeshi men among suspected claimants
• Over 100 claims now under Home Office review
• Home secretary vows prosecution of fraud networks

Three people have been arrested in the UK over an alleged network accused of helping asylum seekers, including Bangladeshi men, fabricate evidence that they were gay in order to strengthen asylum claims, according to a BBC report.

Home Office immigration enforcement officers raided addresses in London on Tuesday morning, arresting two people on suspicion of fraud and immigration offences and a third on suspicion of being in the UK illegally.

Officers also seized mobile phones, jewellery and thousands of pounds in cash, the Home Office said.

Chris Foster, regional lead for criminal investigations at the Home Office, said the arrests were connected to separate suspected fraudulent asylum claims involving Apanjon, a Bangladeshi community LGBT organisation based in Whitechapel, east London.

Foster said investigators had gathered intelligence indicating that the suspected network could provide fabricated letters and documents for between £1,000 and £4,500.

The alleged material included letters of support from Apanjon, staged photographs intended to suggest that claimants were gay and letters claiming same-sex relationships.

The suspected network is believed to have supported dozens of asylum applications involving Bangladeshi men, while more than 100 claims linked to it are now being reviewed by the Home Office.

Foster said some of the applications would have “undoubtedly” been granted.

The investigation began after asylum caseworkers noticed patterns in claims that raised concerns about the organisation. Immigration officers had been investigating the suspected network for several months, he said.

UK immigration judges have previously criticised evidence linked to Apanjon, describing some material as unreliable or lacking credibility, according to the BBC.

In one case, an asylum seeker who claimed to have attended events organised by the group was found to have submitted staged photographs.

The Home Office said Apanjon sometimes provided support to men claiming asylum on the basis of their sexuality only after their initial applications, including politically based claims, had been rejected.

In one case, a man reportedly raised his sexuality as a basis for his asylum claim nine years after making his original application.

The arrests follow a BBC investigation published in April that alleged advisers and community organisations were helping migrants fabricate evidence for asylum claims.

That investigation reported that adviser Tanisa Khan offered an undercover reporter what she described as a “comprehensive package”, including photographs taken at gay clubs and other supporting evidence.

Khan was linked to Worcester LGBT, a community group that has since closed.

Men who attended one of the group’s events told the BBC they were not actually gay. The investigation also reported alleged attempts to use bogus medical conditions and fake news websites to support asylum applications.

Khan denied advising the reporter to make a false claim or offering to create fabricated evidence. The founder of Worcester LGBT had also said the organisation did not create or support fabricated evidence.

The earlier investigation led to two arrests in May, while the Home Office said it was continuing to review asylum claims connected to the reporting.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood criticised those involved in alleged asylum fraud, saying fabricated persecution claims undermine people with genuine cases.

“People who fake persecution are beneath contempt and undermine genuine asylum seekers,” she said.

“To the gangs profiting from this disgraceful fraud: you will be prosecuted, stripped of your dirty money and shut down,” she added.

Asylum fraud carries a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years in the UK.