Police arrest three in raid for ‘posing as immigration attorneys’
- Those arrested in east Manchester immediately included a married couple
- The raid follows a crackdown sparked by a Daily Mail investigation final 12 months
Three individuals have been arrested for allegedly posing as immigration attorneys to bolster bogus asylum claims from an workplace in a suburban storage.
As a part of a crackdown sparked by the Daily Mail’s sensational investigation into crooked advisers charging unlawful immigrants as much as £10,000 to assist them make fraudulent claims, the trio had been held this morning in a Home Office raid.
Among them are a married couple alleged to have been supplying faux paperwork to allow overseas nationals to falsify asylum claims and stay within the UK.
It is believed they’ve been charging greater than £3,000 per shopper, specialising in serving to Chinese immigrants.
The Home Office stated these arrested had been a mix of British and Chinese nationals.
Following final 12 months’s bombshell exposé, which noticed the Mail praised yesterday by ministers for uncovering the issue, our reporter and photographer had been invited to observe the raid happen at a indifferent home in east Manchester immediately.
Three individuals have been arrested for allegedly posing as immigration attorneys to bolster bogus asylum claims from an workplace in a suburban storage
It is believed they’ve been charging greater than £3,000 per shopper, specialising in serving to Chinese immigrants
Following final 12 months’s bombshell exposé into crooked advisers charging unlawful immigrants as much as £10,000 to assist them make fraudulent claims, our reporter and photographer had been invited to observe the raid happen at a indifferent home in east Manchester immediately (Manchester City’s stadium is pictured within the background)
Extraordinary photos present how behind the white curler door, the ‘storage’ was actually a fully-equipped workplace containing 5 work stations, printing tools – and even vases of ‘fortunate’ bamboo.
The prolonged property is monitored by safety lights, CCTV cameras and a number of alarms, and has steel bars throughout a floor flooring window.
After permitting immigration enforcement officers entry to the property, suspects had been taken away for questioning, whereas laptop tools was seized for evaluation.
Last July the Mail revealed how crooked immigration attorneys had been charging unlawful immigrants as much as £10,000 to create faux asylum and human rights claims.
In one case, a authorized adviser informed an undercover reporter posing as an financial migrant that he may invent claims of sexual torture, beatings, slave labour, false imprisonment and dying threats.
At one other agency, one lawyer stated he must ‘create the proof’ to make it seem the reporter had a real concern of ‘persecution and assassination’ if he returned to his dwelling nation.
He boasted of a hit charge of greater than 90 per cent.
Our investigation led to the Solicitors Regulation Agency (SRA) suspending three authorized corporations caught providing to lodge faux asylum functions.
After permitting immigration enforcement officers entry to the property, suspects had been taken away for questioning, whereas laptop tools was seized for evaluation
Michael Tomlinson, minister for unlawful migration, stated: ‘This operation reveals as soon as once more that we’re relentless in our pursuit of these we suspect of abusing and gaming our immigration system for revenue’
Extraordinary photos present how behind the white curler door, the ‘storage’ was actually a fully-equipped workplace containing 5 work stations, printing tools – and even vases of ‘fortunate’ bamboo
In August Suella Braverman launched a brand new anti-corruption taskforce designed to enhance the best way intelligence is gathered on bent solicitors. Those discovered responsible may face life imprisonment
It is unlawful to supply immigration recommendation with out being regulated by both the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner or one other designated regulator such because the SRA, or skilled our bodies like The Law Society. The agency raided in Manchester this morning will not be regulated by any such physique, in line with the Home Office
In response, then Home Secretary Suella Braverman vowed that crooked immigration attorneys would find yourself behind bars.
In August she launched a brand new anti-corruption taskforce designed to enhance the best way intelligence is gathered on bent solicitors.
Those discovered responsible may face life imprisonment.
The probe was later broadened out to non-lawyers who cost for immigration recommendation.
It is unlawful to supply immigration recommendation with out being regulated by both the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner or one other designated regulator such because the SRA, or skilled our bodies like The Law Society.
The agency raided in Manchester this morning will not be regulated by any such physique, in line with the Home Office.
Michael Tomlinson, minister for unlawful migration, stated: ‘This operation reveals as soon as once more that we’re relentless in our pursuit of these we suspect of abusing and gaming our immigration system for revenue.
‘Anyone who’s discovered responsible of this may face the total weight of the legislation.
‘The Daily Mail has led the best way in highlighting the broader points round asylum authorized practices with their undercover investigations.
‘I encourage all members of the general public to flag any potential intelligence to us, so we are able to observe it up accordingly.’
Andrew Radcliffe (pictured), assistant director of legal and monetary investigations on the Home Office, stated: ‘These arrests ship a transparent message to the criminals exploiting our legal guidelines and borders’
Andrew Radcliffe, assistant director of legal and monetary investigations on the Home Office, stated: ‘These arrests ship a transparent message to the criminals exploiting our legal guidelines and borders.
‘Facilitating unlawful entry into the UK won’t be tolerated and we’re working tirelessly to dismantle networks of individuals serving to unlawful migrants keep within the UK by encouraging them to make false claims.’
The raid additionally concerned employees of Immigration Services Commissioner John Tuckett who stated he was decided to ‘see an finish to this merciless legal exercise’.
‘This operation demonstrates how actually precious our work is to stop unlawful observe and defend the weak,’ he added.
