Asylum Seekers Allegedly Buying Sick Notes Online to Delay UK Immigration Interviews

Asylum seekers are reportedly buying fake sick notes online to delay their scheduled interviews with the Home Office, a tactic that could allow them to postpone appointments for up to six months and continue working in the United Kingdom. The scheme involves purchasing notes from websites where no medical appointment is required.

An internal Home Office memo obtained by the Daily Mail states that the same type of GP "sick notes" are appearing on multiple asylum claim files. These notes are allegedly being bought for approximately £44 from a website called Home2Lab, which, according to the memo, approves them on the same day after a description of an illness is provided, without needing a GP appointment. The memo directs staff handling asylum claims to report any such suspicious notes.

A Home Office source described these sick notes as "time-buying devices." The source explained that claimants submit the notes just before or on the day of their scheduled interview, leading to postponements without penalty. The interviews are then rescheduled months later, providing claimants more time to prepare their cases or gather evidence. This tactic is particularly noted among individuals whose work visas are expiring and who have applied for asylum to remain in the UK legally.

The source also indicated that linked asylum applicants, such as family members, are likely to use this method. If their interviews are scheduled for the same day, one applicant might submit a sick note, allowing their interview to proceed while the other is postponed. This allows the "sick" applicant to receive information about the interview questions, which are often personal and relate to their alleged relationships.

The Home Office has declined to provide data on how many asylum interviews have been postponed due to submitted sick notes, following a Freedom of Information request. However, the source claims this practice is "very common," though the extent to which Home2Lab is involved, or if other websites offer similar services, remains unclear.

Some claimants have reportedly used sick notes multiple times before finally attending an interview. Anecdotal examples include postponements due to a "sore belly" or a "burnt foot," with one individual allegedly delaying interviews for six months.

An investigation by the Daily Mail revealed that a sick note was obtained from Home2Lab less than 24 hours after a reporter submitted personal details, an online assessment form, and a video falsely claiming to have the flu. The note, which diagnosed the reporter with a respiratory tract infection, was signed by a registered pharmacist, Dr. Ahmed Said, not a registered GP as Home2Lab's website stated. Home2Lab has since corrected its website, stating that certificates may also be issued by other registered healthcare professionals, including pharmacists. The company stated it "does not issue certificates for Home Office or immigration purposes" and that its terms of service expressly exclude such uses. They claim that when certificates were presented to the Home Office, customers stated they were for work purposes and provided supporting materials consistent with that claim, with no record of an immigration purpose being disclosed at the time of application.

A Home Office spokesman affirmed that asylum interviews are only delayed due to illness with sufficient medical evidence from a qualified professional, in line with published policy.