Bogus websites, staged protests and pretend atheists: Inside the fake asylum industry

Bogus Websites, Staged Protests and Pretend Atheists: Inside the Fake Asylum Industry

Undercover investigators have uncovered a network of fabricated tactics used to support false asylum applications, ranging from counterfeit news platforms to orchestrated demonstrations and invented beliefs. This system, designed to mislead immigration authorities, involves charging migrants for guidance on crafting misleading narratives. The first phase of our hidden investigation revealed how legal consultants and migrants collaborate to fabricate claims, with one key strategy being the creation of false evidence of homosexuality, atheism, or political activism.

Staged Evidence and Manipulated Narratives

During a session at an office near Mile End Road in east London on a Tuesday evening in early April, our reporter was taught how to present a false asylum story. Posing as a Bangladeshi student who had recently left university, he was advised on methods to convince the Home Office of his vulnerability. A self-proclaimed barrister, Zahid Hasan Akhand, outlined three potential pathways: persecution based on sexual orientation, religious conviction, or political beliefs.

“Everyone is being successful, God willing,” Akhand said. “If you listen and get the evidence arranged properly, it will be successful.”

For a £1,500 fee, Akhand promised legal assistance, including mock interviews and preparation for the asylum process. However, the reporter was also expected to produce evidence to prove his claim was genuine. Akhand claimed he had contacts who could help generate such proof, depending on the chosen route. If the case was based on atheism, social media posts mocking Islam or the Prophet Muhammad would be created, followed by fabricated comments from religious figures threatening the applicant.

“He would be introduced by the lawyer to atheist organisations in the UK and in Bangladesh that ran online blogs or magazines where, for a fee, he could make posts,” Akhand explained. “This is not the age of posts anymore, it is the age of live videos.”

For the gay claim, Akhand suggested creating club memberships and arranging a fake partner to provide a letter of support. “If you go to those associations, you will not get caught out,” he noted, adding that many in these groups are not actually gay. The political route, he said, required a more complex legal argument but was less common due to the need for extensive evidence. “For gay cases, it’s private, but politics and atheism are public,” Akhand remarked. “So establishing that is a bit difficult.”

The Cost of Fabrication

Depending on the chosen strategy, the cost could range from £2,000 to £3,000. Akhand mentioned using AI tools like ChatGPT to draft articles or blog posts that would bolster the applicant’s story. He also recommended participating in events for former Muslims to add credibility to the claim. Despite the artificial nature of these efforts, Akhand claimed the system was designed to ensure success, with no mechanism to verify authenticity.

Zahid Hasan Akhand, who qualified as a barrister in 2022, lacks a license to practice law. This raises questions about the legitimacy of the advice he provides, yet he remains confident in the effectiveness of the fabricated evidence. The investigation highlights a growing trend where migrants and their advisers exploit gaps in the asylum process to create convincing, though untrue, narratives that secure residency in the UK.