Lawyer caught by BBC offering to make illegal-worker fine go away
A Bradford-based solicitor, Mohammad Alias Yousaf, was secretly filmed by the BBC offering to make a £45,000 illegal-working fine disappear by using overseas proxies. In response to the investigation, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a government review of how such fines are issued and collected.
Why it matters
Exposes vulnerabilities in the enforcement of illegal employment fines and triggers a national review of immigration penalty collection processes.
Figure caption, Lawyer Mohammad Alias Yousaf advised how to avoid paying a £45,000 illegal-worker fine
A solicitor has been secretly filmed by the BBC explaining how he could make a £45,000 illegal-working fine go away.
Mohammad Alias Yousaf - also known as Alias - made the claim to an undercover reporter, who was posing as a mini-mart owner facing a fine for employing an illegal worker.
The Bradford-based solicitor told his potential client he could avoid paying the fine, if he could find someone overseas prepared to declare themselves the owner of the mini-mart.
Alias has denied ever providing such advice to anyone, or giving false information to the Home Office.
At least £150m is currently owed to the government in uncollected illegal-working fines, according to Home Office figures obtained by the BBC.
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