“Not even 1% are gay”: BBC Undercover Investigation Reveals How Legal Advisors Help Illegal Pakistani Migrants Fabricate Stories of Being Gay or Lesbian to Seek Asylum in the UK

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Hina Baloch, a transgender activist from Pakistan, revealed an “open secret” about the country in an interview with Queer Global earlier this month. Baloch said, “I believe that more than half of Pakistan is quite gay, actually.” Netizens recently dug up her comments after a BBC undercover investigation revealed that a significant number of Pakistanis pretend to be gay to seek asylum in the UK.

The newly released BBC report disclosed that various law firms and legal advisors are operating secretly to help migrants remain in the UK by fabricating backstories, along with alibis and other evidence, to support claims of being gay or lesbian. The investigation conducted by the BBC showed how the UK’s asylum policy has been exploited by many, creating a situation that undermines genuine asylum seekers.

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The UK’s asylum policy provides shelter to individuals whose lives are under threat in their home countries. In countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, where gay sex is illegal, many residents migrate to the UK for refuge.

To expose the fraud happening in plain sight, BBC reporters posed as international students from Pakistan and Bangladesh seeking guidance from immigration advisors. The legal advisors unintentionally laid out their entire plan, revealing how they exploit the UK’s asylum policy—ultimately acting to their own detriment.

How did the BBC investigation begin?

The investigation began in February 2026, when an undercover reporter contacted a paralegal named Mazedul Hasan Shakil, who was working at an immigration law firm in Birmingham and London. Shakil, who also owns Worcester LGBTQ, later connected the reporter to someone named Tanisa.

The reporter and Tanisa spoke in Urdu, during which she advised him to apply for asylum by pretending to be gay. When he told her that he was not gay, Tanisa said, “Listen to me. There is nobody who is real. There is only one way out in order to live here now, and that is the very method everyone is adopting.”

The undercover reporter even attended a community event for gay and lesbian asylum seekers organised by Worcester LGBTQ in East London. At the centre, he discovered that most of the members were not gay. “Nobody here is gay. Not even 1% are gay. Not even 0.01% are gay,” a man attending the event told the undercover BBC reporter.

Later, the reporter travelled to meet Tanisa at her home in East London. There, she explained how he could apply for asylum in the UK. Tanisa outlined the entire process, stating that the reporter would have to go through an initial screening with the Home Office, and added that one can never truly determine whether a person is gay or not. She said, “The main thing is what you say. You just have to tell them that ‘I am gay, and it is my reality.’”

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She also reassured him by saying that he was not the only one applying for asylum by fabricating a story, and that there were others like him.

Tanisa explained the entire process, stating that photographs of the reporter attending gay clubs, an alibi who would pretend to be his partner, and other supporting evidence would strengthen his case. She added, “I will provide you with a letter from someone, along with a few photographs, and that person will write that they have engaged in sexual activity with you.”

The undercover reporter also showed footage of Tanisa to another expert immigration lawyer, who stated that she was committing fraud and that such practices make it difficult for genuine asylum seekers.

After the undercover investigation revealed that legal advisors were committing fraud by exploiting the UK’s asylum policies, BBC News contacted Tanisa, who refused to speak in Urdu and denied all the accusations against her.

The number of false asylum claims has risen in recent years. In 2025, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a vocal critic of immigration, proposed changes to the UK’s refugee policy, which are now being exploited. Home Office statisticians report that the number of Pakistani nationals seeking asylum has increased significantly over the past few years. Under a recent update to the policy, asylum seekers’ cases will be reviewed every 30 months, after which they may be sent back to their home country if it is considered safe to return.

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