How legal advisers coach migrants to fake gay identity for UK asylum

Some legal advisers and firms in the United Kingdom are coaching migrants to fabricate claims of homosexuality in order to obtain asylum, a BBC undercover investigation has alleged.

The report, published on Wednesday, found that migrants whose visas were about to expire were being given cover stories and instructed on how to manufacture supporting evidence for false asylum claims based on sexual orientation.

Such evidence, according to the investigation, included photographs, medical reports, and letters purportedly corroborating claims of persecution.

Some advisers charged thousands of pounds for their services, with one firm allegedly demanding up to £7,000 while assuring clients of a high likelihood of success.

One undercover BBC reporter was reportedly told to attend gay clubs and take photographs as evidence. Another adviser allegedly offered to arrange a fake same-sex relationship to strengthen an application.

In a particularly striking exchange, one adviser was quoted as suggesting that an applicant could later bring his wife to the UK and help her file a separate claim by posing as a lesbian.

The BBC said the practice largely involved migrants on expired work, study, or tourist visas rather than those arriving through irregular routes, and that such applicants accounted for about 35 per cent of asylum claims in 2025.

Data cited in the investigation showed that Nigeria recorded 103 asylum claims based on sexual orientation in 2023.

An immigration lawyer featured in the report described the practice as fraudulent and warned that it risked undermining legitimate asylum claims filed by people who genuinely faced persecution.

The UK Home Office said anyone found exploiting the asylum system would face consequences, including removal from the country.

“Anyone found trying to exploit the system will face the full force of the law, including removal from the UK,” the Home Office said.

The government added that the asylum system contained safeguards to assess claims and prevent abuse, and that protection would only be granted to applicants who met the required criteria.

Authorities were said to be reviewing the matters highlighted in the investigation.