Two people have been arrested following an investigation into allegations that immigration advisers encouraged asylum seekers to falsely claim they were gay in order to remain in the UK.
The arrests, carried out during coordinated raids in east London, come after a BBC undercover investigation uncovered what officials described as “dodgy advice” being given to migrants whose visas were due to expire.
Home Office immigration enforcement officers detained a woman in her late 40s on suspicion of providing immigration services unlawfully, contrary to section 91 of the Immigration and Asylum Act. A man in his early 20s was also arrested on suspicion of fraud.
The arrests follow covert filming by BBC reporters, who found evidence that some migrants were being coached on how to fabricate asylum claims based on sexual orientation.
According to the investigation, individuals whose visas were nearing expiry were allegedly advised on how to create false evidence, including staged photographs, supporting letters and accounts of same-sex relationships.
Footage recorded at an event for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers also captured several attendees telling an undercover reporter that they were not in fact gay.
The Home Office launched an investigation following the BBC’s findings, leading to the raids in east London by its Criminal and Financial Investigations unit.
Immigration Minister Mike Tapp said the alleged activity risked undermining the integrity of the asylum system.
“Our asylum system is there for people who are genuinely fleeing persecution and war,” he said. “But people that are trying to abuse it will not be accepted.”
He added that authorities would pursue any advisers found to be offering fraudulent guidance, warning: “If lawyers, or so‑called lawyers, and legal advisers are out there providing this dodgy advice, we’re coming after that.”
The arrests have prompted a fresh political row over the UK’s asylum system.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the operation did not go far enough, arguing that “a handful of arrests changes nothing while the underlying incentive remains intact”.
Other parties called for balanced reform. Liberal Democrat spokesperson Will Forster said the UK needed a system that was “fair, controlled and efficient”, emphasising support for genuine asylum seekers while preventing abuse.
The BBC investigation suggested the problem may be part of a broader pattern involving advisers charging migrants large sums to help them construct false cases.
Officials say such practices risk damaging the credibility of legitimate asylum applications, particularly those based on sexual orientation, where individuals may face persecution in their home countries.
The Home Office has said inquiries are ongoing, with further action possible as investigators examine the scale of the alleged misconduct.
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