UK arrests three over alleged scheme helping Bangladeshis fake gay asylum claims

A sign reading “No to Bicester MOD Asylum Centre” is displayed above a village sign at the entrance to Piddington, England, Sept 8, 2026. Residents of the Oxfordshire village are set to vote on a proposal to leave the United Kingdom in protest against the government’s plans to house up to 1,250 asylum seekers at a nearby former military site. (Collected Photo)

The UK has arrested three people over alleged links to a network accused of helping asylum seekers make false claims about being gay to obtain protection, the BBC reports.

Two people were arrested at London addresses on Tuesday on suspicion of fraud and immigration offences, while a third was detained over suspected illegal residence. Officers seized phones, jewellery and thousands of pounds in cash.

The BBC said the suspects are believed to have helped dozens of Bangladeshi men submit asylum claims and charged up to £4,500 for fabricated evidence, including false letters, certificates and staged photographs.

Chris Foster of the Home Office said the investigation involved false claims linked to Aponjon, a Bangladeshi LGBT organisation in Whitechapel, east London. More than 100 related asylum applications are now being reviewed.

According to the BBC, immigration judges have previously criticised evidence from Aponjon as unreliable. In one case, an applicant submitted staged photographs after claiming to have attended the group’s events.

The arrests follow a BBC investigation earlier this year that found some legal firms and advisers were helping migrants pretend to be gay in asylum applications. Two people linked to that investigation were arrested in May.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warned that people profiting from fraudulent asylum claims would face prosecution and asset seizure. Convictions for asylum fraud can carry up to 10 years in prison.