‘Crooked’ lawyers who coach small boat migrants to lie face life in jail, announces Braverman

Lawyers who coach small boat migrants to lie in order to claim asylum could face life imprisonment under a crackdown announced by Suella Braverman on Monday.

Those found to be advising migrants on how to remain in the country by fraudulent means could be prosecuted for “assisting unlawful immigration to the UK” which carries a maximum sentence of life in jail.

The move is part of a new “taskforce” created to identify unscrupulous lawyers after reports that false asylum claims are being submitted for a fee.

The Home Office said the unit would bring together regulatory bodies, law enforcement teams and other government departments to take action against advocates found to be deceiving the courts.

Mrs Braverman, the Home Secretary, said: “Crooked immigration lawyers must be rooted out and brought to justice.

“While the majority of lawyers act with integrity, we know that some are lying to help illegal migrants game the system. It is not right or fair on those who play by the rules.

“The British people want us to put an end to illegal migration - I am determined to crack down on these immoral lawyers and stop the boats.”

The Solicitors Regulation Authority prohibits lawyers from deceiving courts, and any act of dishonesty or lacking integrity may result in them being struck off.

Last year five lawyers were convicted of assisting unlawful immigration to the UK under the Immigration Act 1971. Seven were convicted in 2021.

The Home Office said the Professional Enablers Taskforce had been carrying out preliminary work over the past few months. According to the department, this has included developing new training for front-line staff who work in the immigration system to help them identify and report suspect activity.

The task force has already uncovered a case in which an immigration firm was linked to one of the most wanted human traffickers, which has now been referred to the police.

The Home Office has also identified dozens of lawyers it believes have been helping illegal migrants remain in the UK by encouraging and coaching them how to make false claims and in some cases submitting fake applications themselves.

It comes after the Daily Mail reported that a number of solicitors agreed to help an undercover journalist posing as an economic migrant submit a false application in exchange for thousands of pounds.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: “The accuracy and honesty of legal advice underpins the integrity of our world-leading legal system, so those who undermine it by encouraging deception must be held to account.

“This government is committed to stopping the boats - that means breaking the business model of criminal gangs and holding to account unscrupulous lawyers who aid and abet them by abusing the legal system.”

But Richard Atkinson, deputy vice president of the Law Society - which represents solicitors in England and Wales, said: “This ‘task force’ has been around for months now, so it is not clear what, if anything, the Government is announcing today.”

He added: “The Government, regulators and law enforcement agencies already have the powers they need to deal with immigration advisers engaged in misconduct.

“The overwhelming majority of immigration lawyers continue to support the rule of law through their adherence to the law and professional standards set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and provide an essential service to clients.

“The focus of the Home Office on a tiny minority to which they are apparently applying considerable resources should not deflect from the fact that there remains significant backlogs in asylum claims or the unworkability of the Illegal Migration Act.”