A new report emerging on Thursday has revealed that some migrants in the United Kingdom (UK) have begun to use fake domestic abuse claims to secure faster residency.
A report by the BBC revealed that a growing number of migrants are submitting fraudulent domestic abuse claims to bypass standard immigration requirements.
The UK’s Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession, formerly known as the Destitution Domestic Violence Concession, was introduced to help partners on spousal or family visas who face abuse.
It grants temporary permission to stay, access to benefits, and a pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) without needing the usual five-year qualifying period, provided the relationship breakdown stemmed from domestic violence or abuse.
However, migrants have begun to allegedly use fake domestic abuse claims to secure UK residency.
It was gathered that some migrants fabricated allegations against their partners shortly after arriving on spouse visas.
Some were said to have entered relationships or marriages primarily to gain entry, then trigger the process by reporting unverified claims of physical, emotional, or coercive control.
Legal advisers have even been caught coaching clients on how to build these stories, sometimes for a fee of £900, including instructions on what to tell the Home Office.
The BBC reported that some immigration advisers are involved in the alleged use of fake domestic abuse claims to secure UK residency.
In an undercover operation, a BBC reporter said an adviser offered to construct a false domestic abuse claim for £900.
“For £900 I will fabricate the claim, creating a story to tell the Home Office to secure the client’s status in the UK,” the adviser allegedly said, according to the investigation.
The adviser was reportedly unaware he was speaking to an undercover journalist.
The BBC said the adviser had earlier suggested a solution without prompting when contacted by a prospective client.
“Unprompted, he told the prospective client to pretend he was the victim of domestic abuse,” the report stated.
The investigation also said some advisers actively market services that help clients make false claims to immigration authorities.
Lawyers quoted in the report warned that weak verification processes could allow questionable claims to succeed.
“Inadequate Home Office checks are allowing them to do so based on little evidence,” the report said, citing legal concerns raised during the investigation.
It was also gathered that applications under the domestic abuse concession have risen to more than 5,500 per year, an increase of over 50 per cent in three years.
In one case cited, a British woman who had reported her partner for serious allegations later faced counter-accusations of domestic abuse.
“The allegations were never proven, but the partner has been able to use them to avoid having to return to Pakistan,” the report said.
The scheme was originally designed to protect migrants in vulnerable situations who may be financially or legally dependent on abusive partners, allowing them to leave unsafe relationships without risking deportation.
The BBC investigation is part of a wider series examining alleged abuse of immigration routes in the UK.
However, the UK Home Office has not yet publicly responded in detail to the specific claims raised in the report.
