It has been reported that some immigration lawyers in the UK have been allegedly advising their clients to provide misleading information to authorities in order to secure the right to remain in Britain. An investigation by the Daily Mail reveals that lawyers are purportedly charging exorbitant fees of £10,000 to submit false asylum claims.
V.P. Lingajothy, who is not a practicing solicitor but held the meeting at the offices of Duncan Ellis Solicitors in south London, was caught on tape advising an undercover Mail reporter posing as an Indian client to fabricate a false narrative for his asylum application and to pretend that he is a pro-Khalistani who was ill-treated and tortured in India.
In the same recording, Lingajothy added that he the client should also mention that his family was being threatened by people traffickers. Additionally, Lingajothy allegedly had anti-depressants available for the client, presumably to use as evidence to prove suicidal thoughts during the immigration process.
In response to the investigation, Duncan Ellis, the firm where Lingajothy was associated have cleared up that he is no longer with their firm. They also reported the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and conducted an internal investigation to address the situation.
Another individual, Malik Nazar Hayat from the southwest London firm Lincoln Lawrence Solicitors, was also reportedly captured on film advising an undercover reporter to "create something" for an asylum application, suggesting that the fabricated backstory should involve police and secret agencies pursuing the applicant. Hayat appeared to encourage the client to claim victimhood as a result of human trafficking. When asked about his success rate, Hayat allegedly stated that it was "above 90%."
Solicitor Rashid Khan from the southwest London firm Rashid and Rashid was captured on video allegedly advising the reporter to "make something up" and bring it to him. When approached about the allegations, he asserted that he has always acted with integrity, honesty, and in accordance with his professional code of conduct.
Initially reacting to the undercover investigation, a Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) spokesperson said: “All solicitors should uphold the high professional standards that we and the public expect of them. This is especially important in areas such as immigration where those involved may be among the most vulnerable in society.
Moreover, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak alleged that the “Labour Party and a specific group of lawyers and criminal organisations” are aligned in their support, enabling an exploitative system that benefits from illegal immigration to the UK.
A Law Society spokesperson, reacting to the Prime Minister’s statement, said: “Where there is evidence of wrongdoing it is right that the regulators investigate and take appropriate action. It is disappointing that senior politicians continue to persist with loose language which stereotypes a whole profession. This undermines the hard work carried out by the majority of good solicitors to ensure everyone has access to justice.
“Allegations against a few lawyers should not distract from the fact that the Illegal Migration Act is incompatible with international law and likely to fail.”
After investigating the matter, three immigration firms: Rashid & Rashid in South Wimbledon, Kingswright Solicitors in Birmingham, and Lincoln Lawrence in Hounslow, were closed down by the SRA on 31 July.
The SRA, following their action, said: “Closing a firm down, known as an intervention, means we have stopped the firm from operating, taken possession of all documents and papers held by the firm, and taken possession of all money held by the firm (including clients' money).
“The practising certificates of the Rashid Khan. Muhammad Ahmad and Muhammad Hayat have been automatically suspended, so they cannot practice as a solicitor.
“We have also issued a Section 43 order against VP Lingajothy, formerly of Duncan Ellis Solicitors, which means that he cannot work in another solicitor firm without our permission.”
