Three people have been arrested in London following raids on a suspected criminal network accused of helping migrants fabricate evidence for asylum claims based on claims of being gay.
The arrests were carried out by Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers on Tuesday as part of an investigation into alleged fraudulent asylum applications linked to a Bangladeshi community LGBT organisation based in Whitechapel, east London.
Two suspects were arrested at separate addresses on suspicion of fraud and immigration offences, while a third person was arrested on suspicion of being in the UK illegally. Officers also seized mobile phones, jewellery and thousands of pounds in cash during the operation.
According to investigators, the suspected network allegedly charged migrants between £1,000 and £4,500 for fabricated evidence, including staged photographs, letters of support and documents intended to make false asylum claims appear genuine.
Chris Foster, a regional lead for criminal investigations at the Home Office, said more than 100 asylum applications potentially connected to the alleged network are now being reviewed. He said some of the applications may have been successful before concerns about the suspected fraud were identified.
The investigation follows an earlier BBC undercover investigation which found allegations that some immigration advisers were helping migrants construct false asylum claims, including claims based on sexual orientation. The Home Office has stressed that making a deceptive asylum application is a criminal offence.
Authorities have not said that all asylum claims involving sexual orientation are fraudulent. Genuine LGBTQ+ people fleeing persecution remain entitled to seek protection, and UK asylum claims are assessed individually. The latest investigation is focused specifically on allegations of fabricated evidence and organised fraud.
The three suspects remain under investigation, and no conviction has been recorded against them.
