Legal aid for asylum seekers is hard to come by – it’s no wonder criminal advisers are taking advantage

By Raawiyah Rifath, Lecturer in Law, University of Exeter
Diego Garcia Rodriguez, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, School of Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leicester
Nicole Hoellerer, Research associate, School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies, University of Bristol

The Home Office is investigating after a BBC report found evidence of a “sham industry” of immigration advisers helping people fabricate asylum claims.

The advisers and lawyers allegedly promised quick routes to refugee status – sometimes for fees of thousands of pounds – by helping asylum seekers present themselves in ways they believed the Home Office would accept. These included false claims based on sexual orientation, atheism, political activism and domestic abuse allegations.

These…

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