A Home Office whistleblower has claimed that only one in 100 asylum claims are real, as many migrants allegedly use 'the same script'. The former insider, who spent years assessing thousands of claims, said the entire process has turned into a 'massive fraud'.
Repeated patterns in claims
The whistleblower revealed that many Pakistanis claimed they could not return home due to being in a relationship with the same man, who would provide letters backing their claims. He also explained that 'hundreds' of Iraqi Kurds were petitioning to stay in the UK because they were all in a relationship with the same daughter of the Kurdish prime minister.
Large numbers of Bangladeshi asylum seekers claimed they were political dissidents, but lacked substantive knowledge about their party.
System flaws and delays
The whistleblower told The Times: "There's almost no aspect of the asylum system that isn't either a massive fraud or just really dysfunctional." He continued that the initial screening claimants undergo is very brief, with a more substantial interview by officials months later.
He said: "This gives them time to prepare, time to get advice, time to see exactly what fake evidence they can get before committing to a story at full interview." He added that the process to accept a claim was a lot more straightforward than rejecting an application, which could take hours. If denying an application, officials would be expected to respond to each claim made by the applicant.
Fake documents and official response
He also said he thought some claims included fake police and court documents, but due to confidentiality rules officials could not contact origin countries. According to the government, 39 per cent of all claims come from individuals who entered the UK on a work, study or visitor visa and overstayed.
A Home Office study from 2024 shows that Pakistan accounted for the largest number of claimants stating to be gay or bisexual. An investigation in April by the BBC exposed a network of asylum experts charging up to £7,000 to coach migrants on how to be more successful in their applications, telling asylum seekers to pretend to be homosexual. It was also revealed that they were providing cover stories and helping the asylum seekers falsify evidence. The migrants would claim asylum due to the risk of persecution in Pakistan or Bangladesh where homosexual acts are illegal.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We do not comment on anonymous briefings. We have robust processes to test credibility and identify fraudulent claims. If any evidence of fraud or misrepresentation is discovered during the process, those individuals will have their claim revoked. This has seen the asylum grant rate falling from 77 per cent in 2022 to 38 per cent this year. Our new Immigration and Asylum Bill will ensure asylum processing is swift and fair, allowing us to further bear down on those who abuse the immigration system. The Home Secretary has been clear that those trying to defraud the British people to remain in the UK will have their application refused and find themselves on a one-way flight out of Britain."
