Lawyer caught by BBC offering to make illegal-worker fine go away
An undercover BBC investigation caught Bradford solicitor Mohammad Alias Yousaf advising an undercover reporter on how to evade a £45,000 illegal-working fine. In response to the findings, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a government review of how immigration fines are issued and collected.
Why it matters
The investigation exposes vulnerabilities in the enforcement of immigration penalties and highlights unethical practices within legal services.
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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